Costa Rica congratulates Mr. Thomson on his election as leader of the General Assembly and welcomes the priorities that he has set for his term of office. The President can count on our full support for their implementation. Costa Rica also thanks the Secretary-General for his leadership and, in particular, his contribution to the cause of peace and sustainable development.
We are coming to the end of 2016, having achieved little progress in addressing the crisis of refugees and migrants — the worst such crisis since the Second World War. Costa Rica reiterates the urgency of providing assistance and the need to ensure the protection of and respect for the human rights of people who have been forced to leave their homes in search of safe havens for themselves and their families, as a result of armed conflict, violence, natural disasters or the effects of climate change that threaten their access to the most basic means of survival. We are failing to fulfil our commitment to leave no one behind.
Mass media and the international community have paid little attention to the tragedy of thousands of migrants travelling through Latin America from south to north. For Costa Rica, from April to September alone 9,487 irregular migrants have crossed our borders, and we have granted refugee status to a total of 215 people during the first half of 2016 alone. Our country has been a crossroads for thousands of migrants: Cubans, Haitians, Central Americans, Asians and Africans.
Clearly, the problem is global and requires joint solutions, solidarity, shared responsibility and comprehensive approaches. With regard to migration and refugee crises, we must not consider only large movements, as these only deal with very specific experiences, and leave out any discussion on the constant flow of migration throughout the rest of the world. Such movement takes place outside of the confines of the law. It is a phenomenon that is fuelled by inequality, poverty and structural causes resulting from conflict and is fostered by the activities of international organized crime networks.
As a country of origin, transit and destination for migrants, Costa Rica has criminalized their trafficking under the law against trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants adopted in 2012. That legal framework also guides the design and implementation of our national policy to address the crime of migrant smuggling from a gender perspective. The policy is based on the care and protection of victims, prevention, law enforcement, information gathering, analysis and research, and institutional coordination.
In our experience, faced with flows of migrants and the need for humanitarian aid, we must highlight the ongoing role played by civil society organizations as a support network for migrants and their families on the move, in addition to their enormous capacity to document the situation on the ground and see to and deal with violations of human rights of smuggled migrants. Communities that have welcomed these migrants have shown their profound solidarity with those in need.
The complex situation concerning the wave of migrants will only be exacerbated by the effects of climate change. Floods, droughts and the rise in sea level will force people to pick up and move within their country and abroad.
Such challenges call on us to virtuously manage the entire ecosystem of human mobility through a dialogue on processes, actors, mechanisms and organizations. Resources must be efficiently used, and there must be better coordination between humanitarian and development actors. That does not mean that development resources must be redirected to humanitarian assistance. That would create a vicious circle, thereby neglecting investment in the root causes of such movements.
We will not tire of repeating and insisting on the need to address the specific impacts that migration has on women and the need to adapt public policies to address those particularities. We will continue to raise our voice to call for action to combat gender-based and sexual violence.
If we are feigning loyalty to laws and institutions, we had better stop. If we believe that humankind can survive by remaining on this path and adhering to pretences as usual, we will only be selfishly and short- sightedly digging our own grave. We should remember that it is not because of mere altruism but the starkest realities that we have chosen to abide by a global order, subject to institutions and universal principles of self- regulation. The escalation of tensions, conflicts and the use of force suit no one but a few merchants of suffering and death. The national interest of all States is to strengthen the international system and the United Nations, which is at the centre of that effort.
The philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Albert Schweitzer said,
“To the question whether I am a pessimist or an optimist, I answer that my knowledge is pessimistic, but my willing and hoping are optimistic”.
Today there are realities and actions that fill me with optimism because change is taking place in the world. I wish to thank Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his invitation to be co-facilitator, along with my colleague Simona Scarpaleggia, Chief Executive Officer of IKEA Switzerland, of the High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment. The hard work of the Panel has already resulted constructively in a preliminary report. I want to share several of its conclusions with the Assembly.
Simona Scarpaleggia said at the Panel,
“I firmly believe that there is huge potential that could be unlocked simply by valuing and empowering women. The energy, the power and creativity of women are badly needed — not only to make this world a better place, but to enable it to survive in the years to come.”
The lessons are many, but first it is necessary to recall some facts, some of which might seem obvious and others that might surprise. The vast majority of women in the world work. They work in the informal, public and private sectors as business women, domestic workers, and unremunerated workers. But women have half as many possibilities as men in securing full-time paid work. It is estimated that there are 1.27 billion women worldwide in paid jobs compared with 2 billion men. We are talking about a difference of more than 700 million women who do not have the same opportunities as men. Women undertake unpaid work three times as often as men and handle most of the caregiving work. The deep and unfortunate impact of this situation is reflected in the fact that it is estimated that the value of unpaid care work is equivalent to $10 billion, or 13 per cent of world gross domestic product.
The Sustainable Development Goals are interconnected and interdependent. The Panel emphasized the multiple relationships that exist between the targets set out in Goal 5, on gender equality and the empowerment of women, and Goal 8, to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all, men and women alike. The relationship between this debate and Goal 10 is clear: the goal is to reduce inequality within and among countries. I am convinced that the economic empowerment of women should be viewed not only as a goal in itself but as a means for the implementation of the other targets and Goals set out in the 2030 Agenda.
The Panel proposes seven principles and seven guiding actions. As basic principles, we assume that no woman should be left behind and that nothing should be done for women without the participation of women, and that we should focus equally on rights and profits. Empowerment is not only the right thing to do; it is the intelligent road map towards human development, growth and business promotion. We must also address the root causes of economic gender inequality based on gender inequalities in society, respect internationally agreed standards, and, finally, recognize the need to work in partnerships, with global compliance in all countries.
To achieve the global empowerment of women, the Panel recommends the following measures.
First, we must end stereotypes and transform and challenge the rules that limit women’s access to work or devalue their work. Changing those rules must be a priority in order to expand women’s economic opportunities within the framework of the 2030 Agenda.
We must level the playing field for women, guarantee employment and social protection, and reform discriminatory laws and regulations. A total of 155 countries worldwide have at least one law that prevents women from becoming involved in economic activities. This must be changed; it would contribute greatly to economic growth, and it is a simple step that all Governments can take.
Finally, as a social co-responsibility, we must invest in care, recognizing, reducing and redistributing unpaid work in this field. We must ensure decent working conditions for domestic workers. One of the first steps to achieve this is to ratify International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 189. I urge those countries that have not yet done so to take that step.
We must guarantee the an adequate distribution of digital, financial and physical goods. This is also important. We need Governments, the private sector and civil society to take action so as to ensure that trends and innovations in digital technologies and finance, as well as legal reforms in the field of tenancy and land ownership, expand women’s opportunities.
We must change our culture and the way we do business in order to create opportunities for women. As a minimum, businesses should follow ILO conventions along with national legislation regarding gender equality in order to eliminate discriminatory practices.
We must create opportunities, with Governments improving practices in the public sector both as an employer and as a supplier of goods and services. We must establish, implement and promote public policies that benefit women living in poverty and vulnerability as well as macroeconomic policies that guarantee their rights and generate sustainable and inclusive work.
Women’s voices must be heard, encouraging a greater participation in leadership and business and political decision-making posts. In order to translate such measures into reality, it is imperative that we improve data collection relating to the economic empowerment of women. The ILO, along with many other United Nations agencies, development banks and various countries and organizations, has been making considerable efforts to create new methodologies and measurements with respect to the widest variety of variables pertaining to the economic empowerment of women.
The Heads of State and Government who are listening today should know that the most important aspect of the work of the Panel, which is scheduled to issue a second report next year, relates to everything that we are able to accomplish in our own countries as a result of its findings, good practices, principles and recommendations. We invite those States capable of implementing the Panel’s recommendations to do so and to become laboratories instrumental in their implementation. A call to action is imperative. There must be greater commitment on the part of all to achieve this objective.
We know that the world has many crises to deal with, but we can and must promote and ensure changes that will transform the lives of millions of women and girls. This is an imperative call to action. I am certain that this will benefit not only women, but also our societies at large. This is a step we must take in order to achieve equality in other aspects of relationships between men and women. This is the best path for our planet; together, humankind can effectively adopt new models of sustainable development that allow us to survive as a species.
It fills us with immense pride that the Paris Agreement negotiations were led by a Costa Rican woman, Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change until early July, a woman with immense diplomatic capabilities who showed us that when we work together, with commitment and a focus on the common good, we can restore hope and work towards a better world.
The Paris Agreement must enter into force immediately, and we have an obligation to increase our ambitions with time. That is why Costa Rica has made every effort to complete its domestic approval process and will soon join the list of countries that have ratified it.
We therefore aspire to become a laboratory for the deep decarbonization of the world economy and a green hub for management, innovation and the transfer of knowledge, with early action built upon existing achievements. With our planned nationally determined contribution, we will work to achieve our national aspiration to steer the economy towards carbon neutrality by 2021, as part and parcel of pre- 2020 voluntary actions, and we have strengthened our long-term commitment to the deep decarbonization of the economy. The compensatory effects of our forests are accompanied by emissions reductions in critical sectors such as transport, livestock and waste. We have set an absolute emissions limit for 2030, which is equivalent to a 25 per cent reduction in emissions compared with 2012.
Our aspirations also include the promotion of our social inclusion and development policies so that our focus can go beyond the traditional silo-based approach. We are moving towards an integral development model based on multidimensional benchmarks that go far beyond the entry requirement. For that reason, on 9 September the heads of the three State branches and representatives of local governments, the private sector, social and religious organizations and academia gathered to sign the national pact to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our planet needs our care, and this care must be all-encompassing. Costa Rica is fully committed to processes that, within the framework of the United Nations, seek to protect oceans and marine resources, in particular through the elaboration of a new international agreement for the protection of the more than 60 per cent of marine biodiversity that is located in international areas, in keeping with Goal 14 of the 2030 Agenda.
Costa Rica continues to be deeply shocked by the terrorist attacks that, unfortunately, as we know, occur somewhere in the world practically every week of the year. We would like once again to express our absolute, unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in every all its forms and manifestations, no matter who commits it or where it happens or with whatever goal in mind, as well as to stress the need to bring to justice those who commit such acts.
The fight against terrorism must be framed in strict observance of international law, including human rights law, international humanitarian law and the international law on refugees. In that context, we think that this is the right time to make a respectful request to countries that have not yet done so to ratify the Arms Trade Treaty without further delay. The diversion of arms to extremist groups could be substantially reduced if more States were to implement the provisions set forth in that multilateral, legally binding instrument.
Costa Rica has followed with concern the constant launches of missiles and the carrying out of nuclear exercises by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the most recent one being on 9 September. In addition to voicing our strongest condemnation and rejection of such actions, which represent a serious threat to peace, stability and regional and international security, we must demand that North Korea cease such punishable acts, which unequivocally violate relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including the most recent one on the subject, resolution 2270 (2016).
Costa Rica also wishes to stress the importance of fighting impunity for criminal atrocities. Prosecution for such crimes must be promoted comprehensively and at the highest level. Costa Rica welcomes the initiatives aimed at promoting a code of conduct restricting the use of the veto in the Security Council in cases of outrageous crimes. Costa Rica reiterates its call to Member States to adopt the code of conduct put forth by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group.
Likewise, Costa Rica welcomes the efforts oriented towards the full establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Cuba, as well as the measures announced by the senior authorities of those two friendly countries concerning political dialogue and openness. In that spirit, we reiterate our support for the lifting of the economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba in accordance with the systematic, almost unanimous, demands of the international community to that end.
Costa Rica welcomes the signing of the peace agreements in Colombia and the ceasefire declaration of last August. Not only does that bring an end to the oldest armed conflict in the region, but it also contributes to wholly converting Latin America and the Caribbean into a region of peace. We trust that the agreement will allow the Government and our Colombian brothers and sisters to plan their future development along a peaceful path.
We would like to stress that it is the General Assembly that has the power to define the term of office of the next Secretary-General through the appointment resolution. We will continue to advocate that the term be a single period of seven years without the possibility of re-election, as we are convinced that that would facilitate the exercise of leadership free from the coordination required to set in motion a selection process designed to secure a second term. It is fundamental to Costa Rica that there be a democratization of the selection process for the Secretary-General. Therefore, the Security Council’s endorsement of more than one candidate increases the inclusiveness, transparency and, most important, the legitimacy of the process by requiring a vote.
We have advocated, and will continue to advocate, that a woman should occupy the position of Secretary- General for the first time in history. We have reached a new milestone in history by having six extraordinary women, including a Costa Rican, as candidates for the position of Secretary-General. The transformation demanded by people all over the world requires new sensibilities and forms of exercising leadership.
My goal is that my daughter Inés, who is 10 years old now, will be able to tell her descendants of a strange former era, when women did not earn as much as men for the same work, when they were not equal owners of the means of production, when the care of children was a chore largely reserved for women and when their sexual and reproductive rights were not safeguarded. That strange era is the one that we must leave behind, in the same way that we slowly leave behind other scourges such as slavery, discrimination in any of its many forms, and consumption and wars as the basis for our economy, which are destroying our shared home, Mother Earth.
We can overcome hate, violence and inequality. We can achieve peace. We can trace the path to development and human progress. We just need to believe that it is possible, and that making it happen is in our hands.


I bring greetings from President Rafael Correa and an embrace from the people of Ecuador to all sister nations of our United Nations. The past decade of the citizens’ revolution in Ecuador has shown us that to achieve development we must do everything opposite to the prescription that the neoliberal hegemony has given us in the past few years.
In the past decade of our own sovereign drafting of the Ecuadorian social contract, we have managed to restore faith and hope in a country that had been devastated. We have found that this hope can be translated into tangible results for our peoples, through the reduction of poverty and inequality, the redistribution of the fruits of economic growth, job creation, unprecedented access to public services and the guarantee of rights, free education and health care. We have recovered a demoralized country, which, after going through seven presidents in 10 years, a banking crisis created by our elites, who expelled hundreds of thousands of migrants from our country, the loss of sovereignty and the implantation of foreign military bases in our territory, opted to found a vibrant democracy and sovereign republic in the global system.
To do so, we had to break with the paradigms of a neoliberal ideological fundamentalism. Power is not only military and financial; it is above all the dominion of ideas. Power is hegemonic when it has the ability to generate consensus and common understandings and explain our history and our environment. To do this, the hegemonic Powers have appropriated words that we all use and imbued them with meaning in order to impose a political and moral agenda upon the planet. That is why, from the South, from the periphery, we must challenge the meaning of the major concepts that are often bandied about in this General Assembly. We must, for example, challenge the concept of “development”. To ensure that we are all following the same prescription they have tried to convince us that development is a technical issue, when it is primarily a political problem.
In Latin America, the most unequal region in the world, there can be no genuine sustainable development, social cohesion and political stability without redistribution. And that redistribution often means conflict with elites, who have historically opposed and continue to oppose relinquishing an iota of their power. It is no coincidence that Latin America — which I insist is the most unequal region of the world — has, for example, an average tax rate of 20 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP), when industrialized countries have rates of 30 per cent, 40 per cent or 50 per cent of GDP while the average rate for countries of the European Union is 39 per cent. But any rise in the tax rate to ensure that Latin American States can deliver rights, redistribute wealth or stimulate the economy, is resisted by our elites who mobilize all the resources at their disposal, including through the private media, the most powerful tool to maintain the status quo and destabilize Governments that dare to challenge their interests.
To achieve development, we have to break with the primary exporter model of capital accumulation. We must diversify our economies, change our production model and move away from an excessive dependence on raw materials. This idle profiteering, which is often based on cheap labour and unstable work and the bounties of nature rather than the innovative capacity of our people, means that our elites also oppose any deep-rooted productive transformations to achieve development.
In fact, the countries that have achieved development — in both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, in North America and in Europe, and more recently in East Asia — used aggressive protectionist means to build their nascent industries, with an active regulatory and planning role for the State, with a disrespect for intellectual property that would make us blush today. But here is the irony: when those same countries achieved their development — as soon as they achieved a position of dominance with respect to productivity and competitiveness of their new industries — they joined the ahistorical narrative of development that I just mentioned.
Friends of the global South, if we are to diversify our economies and change our models of production, let us do what they did and not what the countries that achieved development are telling us we must do. First and foremost, development is a political issue. One good example of that is the problem of tax evasion and tax havens. It is estimated that in the case of Ecuador an amount equivalent to 30 per cent of our gross domestic product — that is to say, one third of our economy — is being hidden — that is the precise word — in tax havens. Imagine the dynamic economic progress that could be made, how much poverty and inequality could be reduced, if that money had been invested in our country and if taxes had been paid.
We are now dealing with the challenge of rebuilding the zones of our country that suffered a terrible earthquake last April. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean calculates that the cost of reconstruction will be at least $3.3 billion, which means we have to make huge efforts and sacrifices for our country. But then there are the $30 billion hidden in tax havens.
But to put an end to such tax havens and to have critical resources for our development, we have to wage a political battle. It is good that some countries are committed to cooperation in the interest of development but there still is not one drop of assistance in an ocean of injustices, including financial, banking and tax practices that undermine our right to development. And then there are the practices by the same States to offset the phenomenon of capital flight resulting from banking secrecy and the low-to-zero tax rates with new, absolutely negligible cooperation.
Ecuador reiterates its call for the establishment of an intergovernmental body within the United Nations for tax justice — a democratic institutional structure that puts an end to the shameful practice of tax havens in the twenty-first century. Ecuador has taken the revolutionary decision to conduct a referendum in February 2017 to consult with our people whether they would agree with prohibiting all public servants, including those who were popularly elected, from holding capital and assets in tax havens. We are proud to present our ethical pact to the world. We are hoping that it would be an example of one way of fighting against global plutocracy, speculative capitalism and faceless, nameless, amoral, unethical capital that is hidden in order to avoid responsibility.
Another concept that is often manipulated for absolutely political purposes is that of human rights. Absolutely all political action in our Citizens’ Revolution has been thought through from the perspective of human rights. Our Constitution is one of the most advanced in the world with respect to guaranteeing human rights, and it is the first Constitution to guarantee the rights of nature. Our Constitution establishes human rights as comprehensive and multidimensional, which means that importance is given to all rights — civil and political rights, of course, but also economic and social rights.
We believe that one cannot speak of guaranteeing human rights, especially in the context of Latin America, without speaking about the reduction of poverty and inequality. It is for that reason that we are one of the countries that has done the most to reduce poverty throughout the world, with a historic reduction by half of extreme poverty from 17 per cent in 2007 to 8.5 per cent in 2015. Poverty was reduced by one third from 36.7 per cent in 2007 to 23.3 per cent in 2015. Similarly, it is a point of pride that Ecuador is one the countries that have done the most to reduce inequality, which has been a huge scourge in Latin America. To be exact, our Gini coefficient fell by six points between 2007 and 2013. That also shows how we respect human rights.
Ecuador continues to push for peace. We do not have weapons of mass destruction. We are not at war with any country and we are not bombing anyone. Let us see to the immediate entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
It is also important that we leave behind the vision that sees the State as the sole violator of human rights. Of course, States can violate human rights, but other actors can do so, too, especially transnational corporations. Ecuador has experience with such violations. The oil company Chevron Texaco contaminated our rivers and forests in our region of Amazonía, causing disease and death for our people and doing great damage to the Amazon jungle. The Chevron Texaco oil spill was 85 times bigger than the British Petroleum spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and 18 times bigger than the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989. The difference is that the spill in Ecuador was not accidental, but rather a bid to make oil at a cheaper cost.
Ecuador is not the only country to have suffered such abuse. Transnational corporations cannot continue to operate without sufficient checks and balances in order to limit, regulate and supervise their activity with a view to the general interest of most of the people that inhabit the planet. We reiterate our plea for the adoption of a legally binding international instrument on transnational corporations and human rights. We are grateful for the trust in Ecuador expressed by States by appointing us to chair the open-ended intergovernmental working group to draft such a treaty.
At the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which took place in Paris, my country proposed the creation of an international environmental justice court to punish violations of the rights of nature and establish obligations in terms of ecological debt and consumption of environmental goods. We live in a world where there are courts to punish countries when they allegedly endanger or imperil the investments of major transnational corporations but there are no courts to punish those that unscrupulously degrade our environment. That paradox is so decisive and telling of the world in which we live, where supremacy belongs to capital over human beings. We claim the supremacy of human beings over capital.
It is imperative that, after decades of discussion, we accelerate the democratization of the United Nations. In particular, we must strike a new balance between the General Assembly and the Security Council with a view to increasing votes and decreasing vetoes. In that regard, it is urgent that we change the Council’s composition, working methods and competencies, and limit its prerogatives. The use of the veto, exclusive privilege of the victors of the Second World War, which account for 70 per cent of the global arms trade, no longer ensures the ultimate objective of maintaining international peace and security. We must set a deadline to conclude negotiations on United Nations reform.
Similarly, we must reverse the diminution of the role multilateralism plays in global governance. We must reflect on how to address the emerging para- institutionality, where a club of exclusive and restricted number of countries have the clout to make the decisions that affect countries around the world. From the Group of 77, which Ecuador will have the honour of presiding over next year, let us demand more democracy and more equality among States. Let us leave behind the global order that preceded the great decolonization of the second half of the twentieth century, and let us do away with the model of first-, second- and third- class countries.
Our liberator, Simón Bolívar, who said that the unity of our peoples is not a mere illusion of men, but an inexorable decree of destiny, would be proud to see us make bold strides in uniting the peoples of the South, and would celebrate Ecuador’s active role in the fight to emancipate our peoples. We have made great progress in recent years in consolidating the progress and sovereignty of our nation within the global system, but there is still much left to be done. Regrettably, our America continues to be the victim of antiquated foreign interventionism and domestic reactionary attacks that seek to prevent the democratization of our societies. We still have a long way to go before our elites learn to recognize and respect universal suffrage and the votes of millions of people, in good times and in bad, whether or not it is in their interest. Let us stop playing games with democracy and the sacred mandate of our peoples!
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge our people and the leadership of President Correa, a man who has done so much in the interest of full development, justice and equality. Ten years after the beginning of the Citizens’ Revolution, we have replaced despair with hope, and we have shown humankind that political action can build a world where human beings are not merely instruments for accumulating wealth but rather the very purpose of Government.
We in Quito eagerly await one and all for the upcoming United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, to be held from 17 to 20 October 2016, where it will be our honour to host all of our guests in optimistic, hospitable and revolutionary Ecuador.


I am honoured and privileged to address the Assembly on behalf of Algeria and to congratulate you, Sir, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. We share the priorities that you have identified for this session, and we reaffirm our commitment to working with you to achieve them. I wish also to express Algeria’s gratitude to your predecessor for the initiatives he took when he presided over the Assembly.
This session began in the context of a turbulent global situation that is deeply concerning, in addition to the long-standing conflicts to which no solution is in sight. There are new threats to international peace and security that require urgent and serious action. The international community is witnessing unprecedented mass movements of people not seen since the Second World War. A high-level meeting was dedicated to this issue three days ago in order to identify the developments that have taken place in the context of this serious phenomenon. The images of the thousands of people who have had no choice other than to take a perilous journey cannot be seen only from the perspective of migration. Conventional solutions, such as exclusion, cannot be used here.
The situation is in fact a test for all of us. In that respect, the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelaziz Bouteflika, during his presidency of the General Assembly at its twenty-ninth session, said, from this very rostrum:
“The concept of universality is also a moral necessity. It means that in the face of the unity of humankind, racial barriers are crumbling away in the same way as differences in economic and social status are gradually fading.” (A/PV.2233, para. 28)
We can conclude from this idea, expressed by President Bouteflika more than 40 years ago, that the ability of the international community to overcome such phenomena will require great solidarity. Algeria contributes to such actions as well as to the quest for lasting solutions that reflect our commitment to the values and principles upon which the United Nations was founded.
In order to address such challenges, and learning from the painful lessons of the Second World War, the founders of the United Nations devised a collective security order based on equality, which must be enhanced on an ongoing basis so as to reject narrow interests and intolerance in all their forms. If there is one main task that we have to champion in the United Nations, it is for this Organization to be the main catalyst of the hopes of all peoples. Our Organization, given its moral stature, must earn the respect of all Member States. It should be a source of inspiration to all of humankind in situations of crisis with respect to the right to self-determination, respect for human rights, the peaceful resolution of conflicts and all of the other principles enshrined in the Charter.
It is clearer than ever before that the United Nations is facing unprecedented challenges. Now is the time to stress that the United Nations is a unique body and is capableof mobilizing the required consensus and overcoming the challenges at hand. It is unfair to blame our Organization for all the violations that are taking place in the world. Such violations may be attributed only to Member States, because our Organization is a reflection of their political will.
We cannot indefinitely postpone the reform and modernization of United Nations mechanisms, for which Algeria has called repeatedly. In this respect, I must express our satisfaction with the outcome of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit recently held in Venezuela. The Movement has stressed the urgent need for such reform. Reform of the United Nations has taken on special importance.
We are required to provide answers to a simple question. Are the mechanisms that were put in place after the Second World War still valid, given that most of the world’s people were not independent at the time? International balances of power and policies were different then. The answer is that we need to redesign the entire system of global governance with respect to political, economic, security and environmental matters. This is not impossible. The wise consensus of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is evidence of the fact that reform can be achieved through negotiation. Such fruitful and laudable negotiation can guarantee success.
The challenges to development are growing, particularly in Africa and the Middle East. There is no single person who is immune to the current security threats. That is evidenced by the threats of international terrorism that occur every day. Redoubling efforts to bring about peace in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, the Sudan, South Sudan and the Central African Republic and to peacefully settle the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi is a moral and political obligation for the international community.
Regarding the just cause of Palestine and its occupied territories, the failure of the international community to find a viable solution that would include the full recognition of the rights of Palestinian people and the territories occupied since 1967, and that would establish Palestine as an independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital, serves to underline the failure of the contemporary international order.
Mr. El Haycen (Mauritania), Vice-President, took the Chair.
In our Maghreb region, whose inhabitants have much in common, the mission to bring peace to Western Sahara, led by the United Nations, has encountered a couple of hurdles this year. The United Nations, in particular the Security Council, has lost some of its authority. Such developments threaten the integrity of the approach taken by the United Nations. This disturbing situation underlines once again the urgent need to settle such disputes in accordance with international legitimacy and to implement the inalienable right of the Sahrawi to self-determination. Hence, in this particular situation, we would like to stress again that the United Nations is still committed to ending the occupation in Western Sahara.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda represents progress and gives us hope of attaining our noble goal of ensuring that no one is left behind. But international economic expectations and the outlooks of international organizations dampen our optimism, because they note the magnitude of the challenges faced. Such challenges threaten the success of efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly the reduction of poverty. Additionally, they denote declining investments in developing countries and a decline in the amount of the official development assistance (ODA) that we will receive. ODA has already been in decline for the past couple of years. The trend towards reduced ODA from rich countries will prove even more detrimental as the financial needs of developing countries grow.
Developed countries must change their consumption patterns in a way that benefits production in developing countries. The commitments we have made to reducing inequality require a genuine transformation of the economic models of rich countries that will take into consideration the interests of all. The same principle has to apply to the transfer of technology to developing countries, since technology is an urgent prerequisite if they truly are to enhance national capabilities. In this respect, the highest priority has to be given to Africa to enable it to build infrastructure and fulfil basic needs like water and electricity supply. In addition, it is necessary to enable African countries to participate in income-generating activities at the global level and to be economically competitive.
Algeria has undertaken its development efforts in a spirit of self-reliance. We have drawn on our own resources by utilizing innovative financial tools. That which Algeria seeks for the United Nations in terms of reform, openness and transparency has been applied in Algeria. Under the strong leadership of its President, Algeria adopted a constitutional amendment whose democratic provisions are designed to enhance the rule of law, increase individual freedoms, bolster the institutional role of opposition parties, liberate national economic capacities, empower women and establish Amazigh languages as official national languages. That is an important step on our historic path. It will help to build a peaceful, open and strong community. Since Algeria is stable and at peace with itself, it can also effectively contribute to bringing about peace, security, stability and prosperity in neighbouring countries and beyond.
Algeria, which is making a renewed commitment to the United Nations and to what it represents, commends the commitment made by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, whose tenure as Secretary-General is coming to an end.
Mr. Ban undertook his responsibilities wholeheartedly and achieved significant results. He demonstrated that the task of Secretary-General is not an impossible one for a person like himself, who made every effort, using his heart and mind, to achieve the noble goals that he
28/28 16-29559 committed to when he was elected. We would like to thank him and to wish him every success in his new endeavours.


I am extremely happy to take part in the seventy-first session of the General Assembly as the President of Sri Lanka.
I would like to convey the current situation in my country. For the past 20 months, my leadership has helped usher in a new era of social, political and economic transformations in my country. Before I came to power, people in my country were living in fear and suspicion. I have laid the foundation for strengthening the rule of law and restoring democratic rights for the people of Sri Lanka so that they can live happily in a free and democratic society. My Government seeks to make the people of Sri Lanka among the happiest people on Earth. To that end, we have taken steps to strengthen freedom and democracy while achieving economic prosperity. The Government is committed to making the people of Sri Lanka a developed nation.
Poverty is a global challenge. I am determined to alleviate poverty in my country. I have therefore declared 2017 to be the Year of Eliminating Poverty in Sri Lanka. I have developed a basic platform to help people emerge from poverty in a country that prioritizes economic progress. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development serves as the guiding principles for all nations and institutions, led by the United Nations, to bring about the economic, social and environmental transformations that will make the world a better place. In that regard, we recognize that economic development plays a key role, and that environmental sustainability, particularly the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, will remain a main pillar in our endeavour to bring about the necessary changes in my country. With the educated younger generations in mind, Sri Lanka’s national development strategy will give prominence to building a green and innovation-based economy through progressive reforms and planning.
As an island nation, Sri Lanka wishes to make maximum use of its ocean resources, with a new emphasis on ocean research, tourism, fisheries and marine resources. The Government seeks to further improve the free health-care and education systems, while providing greater technology to agriculture and domestic industry, so as to ensure that our people live better lives.
In many parts of the world, we see the unfortunate proliferation of anger, hatred, brutality and conflict. I would say that contemporary society is experiencing a crisis of morality. I believe that all States should heed the cry for moral values and that every society must dedicate itself to raising the level of positive moral values.
Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country where Theravada Buddhism is practiced. The teachings of the Buddha help us find solutions to many of the burning issues of the contemporary world. Similarly, I am sure that the wisdom offered by the great world religions — such as Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and others — can help us today. I am therefore of the view that we as States must strengthen and foster those religions and philosophies that help us look inward.
I take this opportunity to draw the attention of this gathering to a significant obstacle in our progress as the world community, that is, the menace of drugs and intoxicants that has beset society, including youth and schoolchildren. As the President of Brazil pointed out (see A/71/PV.8), illicit drugs have become the most serious challenge faced by society today. While endorsing his ideas, I would urge the world community, the United Nations and all States to commit to fighting illegal drugs collectively and individually through a robust international programme that is more organized and stronger than the one currently in place.
On the domestic front, my Government has taken effective measures to strengthen democracy, the rule of law and good governance, paving the way for positive change to ensure that war will never again take place on the soil of my country, Sri Lanka. The reconciliation process under way today has taken lessons learned from the bitter experience of a brutal war that lasted three decades. The process will ensure that my country will never again see the cruelty of war or terrorism and that all communities will live peacefully in a rational and a free-thinking Sri Lanka. For that noble purpose, Sri Lanka welcomes the collaboration and blessings that it has received from international organizations and the international community.
Sri Lanka is a free, independent nation, and I intend to preserve and protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, in line with the policies of all of the other nations gathered here today. As such, my country will seek its own recipe for the reconciliation process and the necessary transformation and reform efforts, based on respect for the essential indigenous thinking of the local people. Sri Lanka will adhere to a social democratic policy and work closely with the international community towards prosperity and wisdom, in line with the rest of the world.
Following the war that traumatized the nation for three decades, we have started the journey towards national reconciliation and lasting peace. However, we will not hurry; rather, we will tread each step with care, vigilance, patience and persistence. My beloved Sri Lanka has big dreams. I look forward to the blessings and collaboration of Member States to achieve them.
I thank the United Nations and its agencies for the ongoing support provided to Sri Lanka. I am honoured to mention the contributions made by the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, in fostering international development and strengthening democracy and human rights. Those efforts are a blessing to humankind.
In conclusion, I wish to emphasize my commitment to empowering our youth with the best knowledge in the world. We are also embarking upon a reconciliation programme, with a view to Sri Lanka becoming an exemplary democracy in the world. My Government will fulfil its responsibilities towards its people, and I seek Member States’ assistance and blessings in that noble endeavour.


On behalf of the Philippine Government and the Filipino people, I wish to convey our warmest congratulations to Ambassador Peter Thomson on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I also wish to commend him for choosing a theme that resonates very well among Member States and partners. The theme, “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world”, strongly reaffirms the raison d’être of the United Nations.
The Philippines is one of the founding Members of the Organization. For more than seven decades, our engagement and partnership with the United Nations has been a riveting story of our aspirations as a people, born of our colonial past and our independent present. With its central and strategic role, the United Nations remains a relevant and important platform where all nations can make that decisive push to empower us all to achieve and sustain our development agenda, which has the interests of our peoples at its core.
Today, the Philippines is once again privileged to renew its commitment to the cause of peace, security and sustainable development through key priority areas and advocacies identified in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The global action to transform our world illuminates the urgency and importance of our efforts in the Philippines to explore new horizons and break new ground, anchored in our unremitting commitment as a democracy to the rule of law and the well-being of our sovereign people and to our desire to remain a responsible partner in the international community.
The guiding principles and core values enshrined in the Constitution of the Philippines include the sanctity of human life, the inalienable rights of each person, the supremacy of the law, freedom, equality, peace, justice and the nation’s right to self-determination. Among the country’s mandates is the pursuit of an independent foreign policy designed to promote national interests. With our hard-fought and hard-won independence, we have valued and zealously guarded our rights and liberties. To prevent abuse and unwanted excesses, the checks and balances of our democratic institutions are actively at play. They range from the three highly independent branches of government — the Supreme Court, the Congress and the Executive Branch — to the open and free press and civil society groups committed to guaranteeing the freedom and prosperity of every Filipino.
Those fundamental and time-honoured principles and values give rise to the solemn duty of our people to choose their leaders. In turn, the Government has the obligation to fervently defend the people’s rights and liberties. Reneging on that responsibility places the Government at risk of being removed by popular initiatives, including People Power —- a glorious event in the Philippines that is admired and remembered around the world.
Five months ago, our people, through our nation’s democratic principles and processes, elected a new leader. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte triumphed in the democratic elections with an unprecedented and resounding electoral mandate. The Filipino people, proud of their democratic values, traditions and heritage, have spoken. Their vote is an unmistakable call for a deepening of our democracy, where our people will truly be liberated from the shackles of fear, conflict, poverty and injustice. Their choice represents the expressed wish of the people to revitalize the entire country as a sovereign equal among the community of nations. Their sacred ballots cast an unequivocal and resounding voice for change and for tearing down antiquated political and economic structures that have continued to generate and perpetuate numerous inequalities. They voted for the renewal of our communities and our society, for a life of constancy, dignity and honour.
In his address to the nation, President Duterte declared that the rule of law and the respect for due process will prevail at all times. Clearly, we will be guided by established norms and procedures under the law to deliver on the strong mandate given to the President by the Filipino electorate.
For far too long, the Philippines has been unable to fully advance because of corruption in high and low places, the worsening crime situation and the prevalence of illegal drugs. Our people recognize the peril that those evils pose to our development and our democracy. Corruption has become the breeding ground for the illegal drug trade, which seriously threatens the country’s peace and order. Furthermore, corruption impedes our sustainable development goals. It has torn apart many of our communities, destroyed families and snuffed out the hopes and dreams of our people, young and old, for a bright future. For that reason, we are determined to free the Philippines from corrupt and other outdated practices as we eradicate illicit drugs and their manufacture, distribution and use in the country. The rule of law and strict adherence to due process fully governs our campaign against corruption and criminality, including the fight against illegal drugs.
Our firm belief in the supremacy of the law is given concrete expression through the State policy, enshrined in the Constitution, to fully respect human rights and the value and dignity of every person. We even have an independent Human Rights Commission tasked to investigate and prosecute all human rights violations in the country. That national commitment is amplified internationally, as the Philippines is party to eight of the nine core international human rights conventions. We recognize that a secure, stable, and prosperous Philippines will require a secure and stable rules-based international order to which it must faithfully comply.
With the imperative to forge policies for our people aimed at achieving enduring peace and prosperity and at restoring trust in the Government’s ability to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms, the President, going into his third month in office, enjoys a 92 per cent rate of approval and trust from the Filipino people. To him, that trust is sacrosanct; under no circumstances can it be breached, under no circumstance must it be compromised.
Our actions have, however, grabbed both national headlines and international attention for all the wrong reasons. Consequently, we urge everyone to allow us to deal with our domestic challenges so that we can achieve our national goals without undue interference and so that we can be among the community of nations that can collectively make a universal push to transform our world and improve the quality of life for all of humanity, including the more than 100 million Filipinos. We urge everyone to have faith in the strong institutions of our democracy and in our people to defend the freedom and integrity of our country, and in the power of our people as they continue to freely participate, be involved and have a say in the actions and decisions of their democratically elected Government.
Let me repeat, explicitly and unequivocally, that the Philippines is committed to the rule of law and the protection of the rights of all Filipinos. With that abiding commitment, we are pursuing our efforts within the existing democratic and legal framework, whish is governed by the overriding principle to uphold the dignity of every person and the right to due process and to the presumption of innocence. For the law to be credible, respected and effective, it has to be consistent and fair. The full force of the law will be applied at all times to serve the ends of justice, and not just those of a select few. There will be no double standard, no application of selective justice.
Our campaign to rid the country of criminality, lawlessness and disorder, including our all-out war against illicit drugs, will remain strictly in accordance with the Philippine Constitution and the international norms and human rights treaties and covenants that we are party to. We have not empowered and never will empower our law-enforcement agents to shoot to kill individuals suspected of drug crimes. And yet, under our established rules of engagement, our police have the right to defend themselves when their lives are threatened. Extrajudicial killing has no place in our society nor in our criminal justice system.
Our sustainable goals rest on the fundamentals of development, that is, human development. The path of change that we seek is grounded in the most enduring of precepts, namely, our own national interest, which addresses the immediate needs of the Filipino people. Our goals are guided by our article of faith that we leave no one behind in our development strides. We are working hard to ensure that each and every Filipino will be able to keep in step with the overall development pace.
The Philippines continues to enhance the delivery and quality of basic social services to our people, anchored in the implementation of what we view as a human approach to development and governance. We have benchmarked such services to global standards. That is true of our health, education, food, water and housing services. Environmental preservation, respect for culture and the pursuit of social justice form key components of our national development frameworks.
Since 2013, the Philippines has made public its support for the core pillars of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Philippines is honoured to be one of the 22 pioneer countries that volunteered at the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to share its initiatives in the first year of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals in 15 years, we need to take a risk-informed approach. It is axiomatic to say that frequent and intense natural disasters can negate our gains in the reduction of poverty and even push back development.
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries. It is also vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate, change owing to many years of neglect and selfish practices by various countries. This has left us far behind in progress, because of their irresponsibility and greed at our expense. We reiterate our call for climate justice and the principle of equity and common but differentiated responsibility in the implementation of the obligations under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
The Philippines will remain a responsible partner of the international community. Our domestic concerns compel us to partner with like-minded countries in the areas of maritime security, counter-terrorism, disaster response and transnational crime such as, but not limited to, trafficking in drugs and humans. Our commitment to the rule of law, peace, our people and our relations with the international community also extends to the recent decision of the Arbitral Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague with regard to disputes in the South China Sea. The decision has upheld the primacy of international law as the cornerstone for a rules-based regional and international order. The arbitral award, which is final and binding on all parties, is a clearly established legal fact that is now part of international jurisprudence in the maritime domain, in accordance with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
We reaffirm our abiding commitment to pursue the peaceful resolution and management of disputes with a view to promoting and enhancing peace and stability in the region. We need to fully respect legal and diplomatic processes as we explore the best way forward. We reaffirm the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence. We must not overlook the importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of all activities, including maintaining the freedom of navigation, the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the adoption of an effective code of conduct.
Over the past 71 years, the United Nations has demonstrated continuing resilience and relevance in the face of intractable challenges and emerging regional threats, both traditional and non-traditional. With the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations has rightly returned development to the centre of global efforts to pursue peace, security and stability.
The Philippines, as a founding Member of the United Nations, walks with and works with the community of nations in truly transforming our world, where the universal values of equality, tolerance and human dignity must prevail. As we reason together in this honoured Hall of the United Nations, let us together move our development goals forward. For us to build our future, we must honour our past. As we reaffirm our common humanity, we have to keep faith with one another as we advance our noblest and highest aspirations based on our collective will and pursue our varying and often disparate national interests.
Despite the odds and the complex challenges, we must press on, with courage and fortitude, for the sake of our peoples and seize the promise of a better tomorrow for future generations. Let us not forget — to borrow the words of a distinguished member of humankind — that in our determination to transform the world, it is not enough to see things as they are and ask, “Why?” Let us all dream of things that never were and ask, “Why not?”


On behalf of my Government and my people, I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session.
This will be the last General Assembly at which His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon will serve the peoples of the world as Secretary-General. I wish to now place on record my country’s great appreciation of his stewardship of our affairs. The task of the Secretary-General is not easy. Occupied with trying to resolve conflicts around the world, stop bloodshed, mediate diverse positions between Governments, address hunger and malnutrition, uphold human rights, including the rights of women, refugees and vulnerable communities, work tirelessly to secure peace and ensure development in its widest meaning. All of that is deeply challenging and enormously worrisome. Managing it all involves exhausting travel, the neglect of family responsibilities, and wearisome nights without sleep. Therefore, on behalf of my people, I wish to record our deep appreciation for all of the Secretary-General’s unstinting efforts.
I thank him particularly for the 10 years of diligence that he has devoted to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which our Governments adopted in September 2015. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice and tackle climate change by 2030 are of vital interest to the well-being of small countries, such as mine. Of course, we are disappointed that many of the Goals remain aspirational and lack a legally binding commitment to the funding that is crucial for their implementation. But we are realistic enough not to reject the good just because we did not get the perfect. We will continue to advocate for fairness and equity in the fulfilment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
My small island State is also grateful to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for his conscientiousness in promoting an agreement on climate change, which our nations collectively signed in Paris last year. My Government was pleased to deposit its instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change earlier this week at here at Headquarters. I urge the countries that have not yet signed or ratified the Agreement to do so without delay. Time is not on our side.
I remind the representatives of all nations gathered in this Hall that the present pledges to reduce emissions are still insufficient to limit global temperature rise to well below 2° Celsius and to build climate resilience. At a rise of 1.5° Celsius, many of our countries — or parts of them — will still be washed away. Temperatures continue to rise, as the bell is tolling.
The bell may be tolling for small islands, but in the words of the poet John Donne, “it also tolls for thee”. The ravages of climate change will not end with the erosion of small island States, nor will its consequences disappear with the last surging tide. Its refugees, its displaced people and the misery of its effects will wash up on the shores of those who dismiss or neglect the issue today.
Our small countries endure the problems caused by climate change not because we created it, but because we are the victims of the polluting profligacy of others. But we are not content to simply wring our hands in anguish or throw up our arms in despair. We are keen to help provide solutions. That is why my Government has repeatedly proposed debt swaps for climate-change adaptation and mitigation. Many of our small island States are burdened by high debt because we are denied access to concessionary financing and are forced to borrow at high commercial rates to rebuild after disasters and to mitigate against them. High debt is not only a drag on our economic growth; it constrains our ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. We are caught in a very vicious cycle.
We have proposed that we be provided with soft loans to stop further high debt accumulation while we build resilience to global warming and sea-level rise. However, for us to qualify for soft loans, the international financial institutions and donor Governments must stop using per capita income as a criterion. So far, our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Beyond the facade of high per capita income is our increasing poverty, high levels of household and individual vulnerability, acute issues in health and education and worrying rates of unemployment, especially among youth. High per capita income distorts the reality that, because of the openness of our small economies and our dependence on foreign investment, a minority of the population earns the largest percentage of income, leaving the majority at subsistence level and below.
Those facts are known to international financial institutions and those who govern them, yet they are ignored. The more appropriate criteria for allowing access to concessionary financing should be our very well-known vulnerability to shocks that are generated from outside our shores and over which we have no control. The cost to institutions, such as the World Bank, of refining their criteria would not be very high, but such access would represent a significant measure enabling our small countries to improve our economic performance.I have to admit a deep sense of frustration and disappointment that, year after year, other Heads of Government of small States and I have come to the Assembly and explained the challenges that confront us, but to no avail. We remain trapped in the reality of a narrow tax base, high debt, large trade deficits, small underdeveloped domestic financial markets, small private sectors and fragile banking systems. I remind the Assembly of Albert Einstein’s observation:
“In matters of truth and justice, there is no difference between large and small problems, for issues concerning the treatment of people are all the same.”
The truth of the situation facing small States is obvious to all; so too should be the need for justice. My country, having resumed negotiations with the Government of the United States on the outstanding World Trade Organization matter, looks forward to a speedy resolution as we continue to find innovative ways to build our country.
In terms of the grave challenges to the economic viability facing my country and the Caribbean region, I can now point to an urgent and existential threat of considerable relevance to our survival. The latest challenge that our countries face is the decision by global banks to discontinue correspondent banking relations with our financial institutions. In the international campaign against money laundering and terrorist financing, very strict penalties have been imposed on banks by regulatory bodies in North America and Europe for any infringement of the stringent regulations.
In that environment, where even the slightest infraction could expose a bank to a fine of hundreds of millions of dollars, many banks have chosen to withdraw essential correspondent banking relations from financial institutions in the Caribbean, Central America and Africa. They call that process “de-risking”. I call it economic destruction. It is now prevalent in the Caribbean, but it also exists in parts of Africa and Central America. It will spread, with global consequences, unless it is curbed through collective action.
All those countries, including mine, are now at the point of losing vital correspondent banking relationships. The consequences would be calamitous. We would be severed from the world’s trading system, unable to pay for basic goods and services that we purchase or to receive payments for goods and services that we sell to other countries. Remittances from our diaspora would be cut off, causing more of the population to depend on social welfare at a time when our economies are already under great stress.
In other words, a growing cancer is eating away at development — a cancer that is threatening the stability of our region and denying us the right to participate in the international economy. But that is not all. Since the consequence of being cut off from the world trading system would be economic collapse, not only would poverty and crime dramatically increase, so too would the very global scourges that every nation fears — an increase in refugees and human trafficking.
The consequences would not be limited to our countries. Worse yet, financial transactions that are now regulated and monitored by law enforcement agencies would be forced underground, creating huge opportunities for money laundering and terrorism financing. That would undermine the global, multilateral cooperation that is required to fight those scourges. And it is important to be aware of the fact that, in all the money laundering and terrorism financing cases that have been prosecuted in the world, not one of them involved a Caribbean financial institution.
De-risking is a substantial matter; its far-reaching consequences could create fundamental problems for our countries. The threat that we face in the Caribbean is real; the danger is imminent. But, make no mistake, no country will be immune from its consequences if it is left unchecked.
I am grateful to the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Ms. Christine Lagarde, for her timely and important statement made on 18 July at the New York Federal Reserve, in which she said,
“I am concerned that not all is well in this world of small countries with small financial systems. In fact, there is a risk that they become more marginalized.”
She went on to say that
“all actors have a part to play: countries need to upgrade their regulatory frameworks; regulators in key financial centres need to clarify regulatory expectations and ensure consistent application over time; and global banks need to avoid knee-jerk reactions and find sensible ways to reduce their costs. There is a lot at stake. For both the big and the small. For all of us.”
Ms. Lagarde could not be more right, and her summons to the international community should be a clarion call to all.
In the case of the Caribbean, my colleagues the Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community mandated me to convene a high-level conference on that matter to address it in a holistic fashion. It will be held in Antigua on 27 and 28 October, and I have already issued invitations to key global stakeholders.. Our objective at that conference will be to work collectively to end that huge threat to the well-being of our region. We are acting responsibly, and I call on the General Assembly to recognize the substantial and dangerous nature of this issue, and to join us in addressing it constructively.
Our nations operate in the United Nations system in the context of some kind of global order. It is a global order that is supposed to be underpinned by the Charter of the United Nations. Reference is often made to the first goal cited in the Preamble to the Charter of the United Nations, which is “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”.
It is of course right that we should do so. For even though that principle is enshrined in the Charter and is legally binding on all Member States, conflict and carnage continue in several parts of the world, particularly the Middle East. And, as the Secretary- General lamented in his presentation of his report on the work of the Organization (A/71/1) to this session of the General Assembly, “Powerful patrons who keep feeding the war machine also have blood on their hands.” (see A/71/PV.8).
But, at least in recent years, wars have been reduced and isolated. In that regard, the commitment of States to the Charter has made our world a safer place for the majority of our people.
However, it is the other three goals in the Preamble that our nations have yet to meet. And because of that failure, developing countries and small States such as mine remain marginalized, outside the bounty of the world. I remind everyone of those three goals:
“To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
“To establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
“To promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom”.
The global order under which we live and conduct our relations pays only lip service to those principles and ideals. That is why Guantánamo Bay in Cuba is still occupied by the United States and the United States embargo on that country continues, despite the wishes of the people and the Government of Cuba. That is why bodies such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a club for rich countries, Unilaterally make rules on financial matters, which they impose on other countries, which have no say. That is why powerful countries brand regions in the Caribbean and Pacific as tax havens, with all the negative and harmful consequences that such branding entails. That is why the Caribbean region can be arbitrarily and unfairly severed from vital correspondent banking relationships. That is why countries such as mine have no voice of our own and no vote in the decision-making councils of the international financial institutions that make and implement the rules that materially affect our lives.
“Might is right” continues to be the principle underpinning the mentality of the powerful. But our world cannot be free from poverty, conflict, terror, inequity and injustice while the powerful take advantage of the weak. In the words of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It is time that the global order recognize that self-evident truth.


It gives me a great pleasure to join the cordial congratulations on the well-deserved election of the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. We are confident that his wisdom, diplomatic experience and skill will contribute to the success of the current session, and my delegation would like to assure him of its full cooperation to that end. I would also like to take this opportunity to commend his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, for his able leadership during the previous session.
I also avail myself of this opportunity to express our sincere appreciation to His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his tireless efforts during his two terms in promoting global peace and security, development and well-being for all peoples of the world. His competent and effective leadership has been a positive force in reforming the Secretariat, easing crises and disputes, addressing current and emerging challenges and elaborating a new agenda on sustainable development and climate change. For all of those efforts, I would like to convey the sincere gratitude of the people of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The year 2015 was momentous because of the adoption of a number of key documents aimed at strengthening the global development agenda. Those documents are interrelated and will define the path of our development in the coming decades. However, we have been less successful in addressing issues affecting international peace and security. Armed conflicts continue to pose a growing threat in various regions of the world. Destructive and inhumane forces of terrorism and extremism have been gaining power by attracting into their orbits ever-increasing numbers of youth, thereby seriously undermining efforts to maintain security and peaceful development.
Combating international terrorism and extremism has become a top priority. There is a need to develop national, regional and international mechanisms aimed at eliminating military infrastructure, channels for financial and logistical support, recruitment and violent propaganda, including counteracting the use of modern Internet and computer technology for terrorism purposes. Moreover, it is essential that we jointly seek ways of addressing the issue of poverty, the negative impact of globalization, and conflict prevention and settlement. There is also a need to strengthen intercultural and interfaith dialogue, mutual trust and tolerance. In that context, the United Nations remains the key platform for achieving consensus on the main issues of international security and development and for coordinating joint action by the international community in addressing the challenges and threats of today.
Eliminating illicit drug trafficking, which has become a breeding ground for terrorism and organized crime, requires the joint and concerted actions of the entire international community. We believe that the fight against drug trafficking is an essential part of the fight against organized crime, terrorism and extremism, and we reaffirm that international cooperation on drug control will remain a priority of the Government of Tajikistan. The special session of the General Assembly on the world drug problem, held in April 2016, provided a unique opportunity for seeking new and additional ways of strengthening cooperation in combating the root causes of the drug problem and dealing with its consequences. During its membership on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, Tajikistan will continue its cooperation with donor countries and international organizations, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in order to implement the outcome document of the special session resolution S-30/1, annex).
Tajikistan stands for a comprehensive settlement of the crises in the Middle East, which will contribute to enhancing global security. We therefore support international and regional efforts aimed at restoring and strengthening peace and stability in the Middle East, including the efforts to resume and accelerate credible negotiations under the Middle East peace process.
Tajikistan supports the international strategy for a comprehensive settlement and post-conflict reconstruction in Afghanistan. We need to strengthen our support to the Government of Afghanistan, especially during Afghanistan’s transformation decade 2015-2024. It is important for Afghanistan to become involved in the process of regional integration by strengthening its economic and trade ties with its neighbouring countries. We call for the expansion of targeted assistance to Afghanistan aimed at economic rehabilitation, the strengthening of its social conditions and the creation of new jobs in its economy. We are ready to take part in rehabilitating the social and economic infrastructure of Afghanistan by connecting the transport arteries of our two countrie by creating an energy bridge known as CASA-1000, and providing the Afghan population with essential commodities and training for specialists.
We are at the beginning of a transformation process that started with the setting of a new agenda that reflects the hopes and desires of every one of us for a decent and secure future. It is obvious that the path to sustainable development will be neither easy nor smooth. At the same time, our political will should be reinforced by adequate means of implementation. There is a need to mobilize additional financial resources, including official development assistance, which is the main component in financing development. Under the current circumstances, it is essential to revitalize international trade and investments, which are the main engines of productive growth, and encourage and promote transfers of innovative and ecologically sound technologies.
The implementation of the 2030 Agenda also requires clear and transparent mechanisms to follow up and review both progress and problems. As a new and first-time member of the Economic and Social Council, Tajikistan is willing to do its part in strengthening and coordinating the efforts to address the complex issues of achieving sustainable development. In our endeavours to achieve sustainable development, we need to remember our collective determination to lend a hand to countries that are confronted with difficulties. We need to remember that a number of countries will begin their implementation of the new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in unfavourable conditions. In particular, there is a need to provide support to countries in special situations, especially the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States.
Access to modern and cost-efficient energy services is key to achieving sustainable development. Tajikistan actively supports the Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative and the United Nations 2014- 2024 Decade of Sustainable Energy for All.
I would like to emphasize that the 2030 Agenda regards water as the most essential element of life and the main component of development. That is a
16-29811 35/52 positive shift, which makes the new water agenda more comprehensive and integrated by comparison with the previous water agenda, framed within the Millennium Development Goals. In that regard, we should take into consideration the fact that climate change, as well as the processes of urbanization and population growth, will certainly exacerbate any challenges. In addition, as a result of climate change, water shortages in many parts of the world will increase owing, first of all, to a reduction in the scale of glaciers and the snowpack. For instance, in Tajikistan during the past 35 to 40 years more than 1,000 massive glaciers out of a total of 13,000 have melted completely. That melting of glaciers and ice caps has caused increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters and the deterioration of ecosystems, which have translated to significant financial and material losses for the national economy and, unfortunately, have caused human casualties.
Nevertheless, the new water agenda is achievable. We have observed that significant progress can be made when countries and regions commit to prioritizing water challenges. What is clear is that countries and the international community as a whole must work together and undertake coordinated efforts and adopt both urgent and long-term measures. That is particularly true when water is shared among various sectors — health, agriculture, energy and navigation, for example — or when surface and groundwater are shared among communities and between countries.
Those were among the issues related to the implementation of the global water agenda discussed at the High-level Symposium on SDG 6 and Targets: Ensuring that No One Is Left Behind in Access to Water and Sanitation, held in Dushanbe on 9 and 10 August and jointly organized by the Government of Tajikistan, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and various United Nations agencies. The Symposium provided a platform for a balanced discussion of policy measures, actions and the means to fast-track the implementation of the water-related SDGs and targets. It adopted a call for action that invites the international community to deepen its cooperation at all levels to address emerging water issues, to improve capacity in the implementation and monitoring of integrated water resources management and to support an International Decade for Action “Water for Sustainable Development”, 2018-2028.
I would like to express our sincere gratitude to all Member States for their active participation in the Symposium. I hope that the members of the Assembly will also support the proposed International Decade, which will strengthen and enhance the progress achieved during the previous International Decade for Action, “Water for Life”, 2005-2015, and will create a solid platform for the consolidation of our efforts aimed at the sustainable management of water resources in the post-2015 period. The proposed International Decade will complement other initiated mechanisms, notably the High-level Panel on 2030 Global Water Architecture, and it can serve to fill any gaps that may arise in the implementation of new 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.


I belong to a generation that was born into a globalized world. For us, globalization is not a threat — it is a fact of life. As Kofi Annan once said, arguing against globalization is like arguing against the laws of gravity. Let us be clear: the fact that the world has grown closer together has brought about enormous benefits. It has reduced international poverty, contributed to the spread of technology and reduced the distances between countries.
But we must also recognize that globalization has not only led to positive consequences; it also created new challenges. Events taking place on the other side of the globe can have a direct impact on our lives. That includes not only in the economic world, but in all spheres of life. Especially in recent years, we have seen a dramatic increase in threats to stability throughout the world.
When I started out as Foreign Minister, in December 2013, Ukraine had full sovereignty over its eastern borders and Crimea. The Iraqi Government was still in control of Mosul and other parts of the country, and religious minorities, such as the Yazidis, still lived in peace and security in their homeland. Yet today, thinking in terms of confrontational blocs has returned to Europe. Today Da’esh threatens whole States, and radicalization and violent extremism are on the rise worldwide.
Given those developments, I can understand that people are shocked and overburdened by the many images they see of violence, suffering and destruction, and that they would wish to block those images from their living rooms. But the truth is that, while one can turn off the television and block off the news from one’s home, what cannot be changed in a globalized world is the fact that something taking place elsewhere can have a direct impact on our lives. The more interconnected our world becomes, the greater the responsibility of each one of us is to not ignore events taking place in other parts of the world. The more globalized our world becomes, the more interest each one of us must take in strengthening stability and prosperity in other parts of the world, not only out of solidarity but also out of self-interest.
One thing is very clear today: we all need to join forces. We need the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). And we need effective multilateralism to achieve what we most desire, namely, security and stability.
Today threats to security and stability arise from many challenges at the same time. The destruction caused by military conflicts is increasing, violent extremism is growing and weapons of mass destruction still exist. The conflict that is closest to us in Austria is the one in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. We remain very concerned, because the Minsk Agreement has still not been implemented, and progress has been frustratingly slow. In our opinion, we need to find solutions beyond the ceasefires. We need a free and stable Ukraine that has good relations with both the Russian Federation and the European Union.
To achieve greater security, we must rebuild trust. In that respect, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which reaches from Vancouver to Vladivostok, is uniquely placed to promote stability and security. During Austria’s chairmanship of the OSCE in 2017, we intend to contribute to rebuilding trust and defusing conflicts in the OSCE area, such as in eastern Ukraine, Georgia, Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria. But we are also faced with a ring of instability in Europe’s wider neighbourhood — in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
On Syria, we need to reinforce diplomatic efforts to establish a ceasefire, enable safe access for humanitarian aid and start a political process. That is the only way to end the ongoing humanitarian crisis in that long-suffering country. We are outraged by the attacks on medical facilities and aid convoys. Let me be clear: all of those who committed crimes against civilians must be brought to justice.
Around the globe, radicalization and violent extremism pose serious threats to our societies, undermining security, development, human rights and fundamental freedoms. We must all realize that acts of religious extremism do not happen only in areas of conflict; there are religious extremists who radicalize our youth even in the heart of our own societies. Tens of thousands of foreign fighters have joined the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in order to rape, kill and try to exterminate religious minorities in other parts of the world. They include more than 5,000 people from the EU, among them 300 from Austria. We cannot accept that our citizens commit such crimes in other parts of the world, and we have to be clear that when they return, they pose a major threat to our societies. We therefore have to increase efforts within our communities to prevent young people from being misled by those who abuse religion.
We also have to remain committed in our fight against Da’esh and other terrorist groups in countries like Syria, Iraq and Libya, because destroying Da’esh would be the most powerful measure to counter radicalization. The more we deny radical terrorists their success stories, the fewer new fighters will be recruited from other parts of the world. If we are unsuccessful in that fight, we will see increased radicalization and terrorism worldwide, with no safe havens, neither in Europe nor elsewhere.
In an ever less secure world facing ever greater tensions among the major Powers, nuclear disarmament remains the number one unfinished business. The recent nuclear tests by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea serve as a warning sign. We all agree that the humanitarian consequences of a nuclear-weapon explosion would be unacceptable. We must therefore finally rid ourselves of all nuclear weapons. Experience shows that the first step in eliminating weapons of mass destruction is to prohibit them through legally binding norms. Together with other Member States, Austria will submit a draft resolution to convene negotiations on a legally binding comprehensive instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons in 2017.
But that is not enough. We also need to put an end to the use of explosive weapons in populated areas. When such weapons are used in cities and other urban areas — as we have seen in Syria — more than 90 per cent of the victims are civilians. The destruction of homes, hospitals, schools and other infrastructure forces people to leave. The world would be a safer place without such weapons, especially for children, women and elderly people. We will therefore convene a meeting in early October to promote that goal, and we hope for Members’ support.
The United Nations is central when it comes to tackling the global challenges of our time. We need an effective guardian for our shared values and principles. We need a strong United Nations to provide security, achieve stability and restore people’s confidence. In that context, I would like to express my gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his leadership during his two terms at the United Nations. His moral leadership has made it possible to achieve success, inter alia, through the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Let me assure all of those present that Austria will remain committed to supporting the United Nations and its goals, both as a Member State and as the host country to one of its headquarters.