I congratulate the President of the General Assembly on her election to the presidency, and my delegation wishes her every success in a productive tenure as we seek to direct the affairs of this important institution in the interests of humankind.
I would like to express my condolences to the people of Indonesia, who are struggling to cope with the effects of the tsunami that struck them yesterday. We know all too well how challenging this time must be for them, and we off them our solidarity.
There are few moments in the history of a nation that capture the resilience, fortitude and  strength of its people. For us that moment came on 18 September 2017, when Hurricane Maria unleashed its fury of 180-mile-per-hour winds on us,  bringing  Dominica to its knees. Immediately after the raging winds and torrential downpours subsided, our people raised their battered and wounded selves and began the daunting task of search-and-rescue and clearing roadways, and thereafter quickly moved into rebuilding mode.
I am proud to stand here, one year later, representing a people who have fought against adversity since that day to attain some form of normalcy in their lives. I am proud to be representing students who spent months

away from classrooms and endured the inconvenience of no electricity, no Internet and the disruption of living in shelters, but who attained some of the  highest scores on the recently concluded Caribbean secondary-school examinations. I am proud to stand here representing the farmers who have gone back to their fields and are now harvesting fresh produce to feed our people and to export. I applaud Dominicans far and wide for being part of the relief efforts and the rebuilding process, but I salute in particular those at home who have walked for miles every day up, down and across the island to be of service, and worked countless hours to save lives, provide essential services and deliver vital supplies to those in need. Hurricane Maria wreaked havoc on Dominica, but the world must be told of the strength of Dominicans, our tenacity and our determination as a people.
The efforts of our people were keenly  matched  by the outpouring of support that we received from members of the United Nations family — from our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean region to our international partners and friends, ordinary men and women across the globe reached out to us to lend a helping hand. As we speak, scores of volunteers are  on the ground helping with the rebuilding efforts. We have also received tremendous support from regional response agencies and international organizations, both within and outside the United Nations system, and from institutions such as the World Bank. All of their efforts have contributed significantly to the progress that we have made thus far. We cannot on this occasion single out those many persons, countries and organizations that have reached out to us, but the people of Dominica are eternally grateful to all of them for standing with us in our darkest hour. I thank them all.
A few days after the passage of Hurricane Maria, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica stood before this body and sounded a call for action (see A/72/ PV.19). He called for the world to wake up and take note that the war of climate change had come to our shores. He sent out a call to all countries — big and small, developed and developing — to come together to save our planet. One year later, what have we done? Where are we? What have we achieved? Among and around us are many who continue to deny the reality of climate change. We have not, as a global community, agreed on a plan for the implementation of the commitments made at the twenty-first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change in Paris. Nor have we mobilized the resources to capitalize the $100 billion dollars per year pledged to assist the most vulnerable and to adapt to and mitigate the harmful effects of climate change. While we have been failing to live up to those commitments, Arctic ice shelves have continued to melt at an alarming rate, the oceans continue to get warmer, hurricanes and storms continue to develop and threaten our countries, and droughts are becoming more severe and flooding more pronounced. Climate change is therefore the global responsibility of our time. I do not even for a brief moment say that lightly. How could I say anything lightly, standing here in this forum that appeals to our universal humanity?
We live in a world in which too many children go hungry night after night; light arms and small weapons continue to infiltrate our most vulnerable societies; and non-communicable diseases account for many preventable deaths. Yes, I agree that poverty, inequality and violence are shared responsibilities too, but their modern-day manifestations are wrapped up in climate change. Climate change arises from activities that support and reflect inequalities, and it is always the poor who suffer the most. It is the poor whose lands are impacted by severe droughts and flooding and whose homes are destroyed and whose loved ones perish. It  is the poor who have the least capacity to escape the heavy burdens of poverty, disease and death.
Much violence flows directly from the climate change-induced scarcity of things like water and productive lands. Climate change is the main symptom of our world’s broken economy, society and humanity. Those are precisely the issues for which the United Nations was created. Let this not be just another moment to simply sharpen the rhetoric or to speak merely of redoubling current efforts. We have done that too many times before, and have nevertheless watched climate change continue its ravages. While we pontificate and engage in a perpetual debate, climate change will march on, laying waste  to  our  forests and fields, whipping up the fury of angry winds and punishing rains and wrecking lives and  livelihoods.  It is no secret that some countries’ lack of motivation to take the necessary action is rooted in the economic truth that those who gain most from the activities that create climate change remain the most removed from its dire consequences. Since climate change is the result of an economic calculus that will keep pushing global destruction further and further along, it must be

accepted as the responsibility of our time, one we must put our collective efforts behind to arrest.
It was only after Prime Minister Skeritt left this Hall last year that international experts completed the post-disaster needs assessment for Dominica. Their conclusions disclosed that a single hurricane had in a few hours caused loss and damage equivalent to 226 per cent of our country’s gross domestic product (GDP). A mere two years earlier, a tropical storm had wiped out the equivalent of 90 per cent of our GDP. The cost of rebuilding a better and more resilient nation comes with a price tag far in excess of what small developing States like Dominica are able to meet single-handedly. That is exacerbated by the debilitating impact that those events have on economic activities. It  deprives the country  of much-needed revenue at a critical time. As I speak before the Assembly at this very moment, dangerous storms are gathering in the Western Atlantic. As climate change warms the oceans and feeds the rainstorms, the risk of future loss and damage increases. Yet the price of the production and consumption  of  goods that contribute to climate change has not been set to compensate us for our losses and damages resulting from that change.
From the perspective of our shared destiny, those goods are being over-produced and over-consumed. Climate change is not a freak of nature. It is as man- made as power and greed. The “polluter pays” principle is an accepted principle — a golden nexus of morality, economics and environmental policy. The “polluter pays” principle is being tried and tested at the national level, but at the international level, alas, it is the victim who pays. Let us consider the insurance model championed by many industrialized countries and international agencies as the solution to climate change. Island States on the front line are being asked to take out additional insurance against the losses and damage that are the direct results of a change in climate caused by others. That is asking the victim to pay by instalment. The insane equivalent would be for the arsonist to tell a house-owner to take out fire insurance instead of trying to stop him setting fire to the house. If our principal response to man-made climate change is to make it easier for the victims to foot the bill, then the march of climate change will press on unimpeded. It is therefore untenable, indefensible and downright unacceptable.
The game-changer would be to establish a different kind of insurance that pays out quickly to the victims of climate disasters, especially for vulnerable and at-
risk countries like ours. Fairness requires that that insurance mechanism must be funded by those that have contributed most to climate change. Additionally, it needs to be scaled up as a matter of urgency. The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility paid out funds for the immediate relief efforts, but it does not have the capacity to insure against loss and damage. Today I want to propose that the United Nations oversee a climate loss-and-damage insurance fund, whereby premiums are paid by those who have contributed  most and continue to contribute to climate change,  and whereby payouts go quickly to those who suffer the direct consequences of climate disasters, once they have been independently declared as such.
Ending the inequality that separates those who gain and those who lose would remove the fuel lines  of climate change. That is what the international community must do, if it is serious about halting climate change. We urge the Assembly to do that, and we hope its feet are swift because we can no longer afford to wait. Our people needed sanctuary and safety yesterday, not tomorrow. In the past 12 months, while contending with the sheer hard task of relief and early recovery efforts, housing the vulnerable and restoring essential services, Dominica has instituted a plan to make it the first climate-resilient nation in the world. We have drafted legislation to establish the Climate Resilience Execution Agency of Dominica, which will deliver the projects that will achieve that goal. We  have recruited its leadership and identified $1 billion worth of critical projects to complement the plan. We have rolled up our sleeves and started work. Our plan is based on designing extremely resilient networks, waterproofing our economy and building resilient communities. As we have critically examined the core of what it takes to be resilient, we have found  that what looked insurmountable from a distance is not so daunting up close.
That realization has buoyed our confidence and re-energized every Dominican. By the grace of God, therefore, and with the continued support of our partners in the global community, we will become the first climate-resilient nation in the world. We encourage other vulnerable small island States to embark on building resilience to climate change as well. The costs, however, are above  and  beyond  the  capacity of small States. Support is critical from international organizations and their member States with the requisite technical expertise and financial resources.

The role of the United Nations is therefore central in coordinating and mobilizing resources. The creation of a special international climate-change resilience facility to provide technical and financial resources should be given the most urgent attention possible. The existing global, economic and development architecture must facilitate that new development paradigm. Official development assistance must be re-engineered to take into account the vulnerability of small island States and the imperative of building resilience to climate change. The international financial institutions must rethink the classification of debt. They must also rethink the essential services and vital infrastructure.
As we battle the effects of  climate change,  we  are supremely conscious that there are many other challenges confronting our region and the wider world. Two emerging global problems brought on by climate change are those of climate-induced migration and disaster refugees. Although those problems are not yet full-blown, some countries that act as safe havens have begun to feel the pressures. That further underscores the fact that the emerging problems  brought  on  by the effects of climate change require urgent global attention. Dominica calls on the United Nations to begin the discourse on both climate migration and disaster refugees while it is still early.
We champion our region as a zone of peace. We remain extremely concerned about the situation in our sister countries of Venezuela and Nicaragua. We call for support for a process of dialogue in order to achieve a peaceful resolution that can benefit of  the  citizens of those nations, while respecting and observing the time-honoured international norms of respect for sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other nations.
Over many years, this body has debated resolutions on ending the economic and financial blockade of our sister country Cuba. We have long established the fact that maintaining that trade embargo can have only a negative impact on our brothers and sisters in Cuba. Notwithstanding the constraints it faces, the Republic of Cuba has come to the aid of so many around the world, particularly in the areas of health care and education, and sometimes in the most trying of circumstances. We once again add our voice to the chorus of voices calling for an end to that blockade.
Dominica supports a United Nations  where young people, who account for more than 40 per
cent of the world’s population, can pursue a global youth agenda with opportunities for dialogue on key issues that affect their development. Similarly, we congratulate the stakeholder groups of persons with disabilities and other non-State actors for their efforts to advance opportunities for persons with disabilities in order to ensure that they remain part of the United Nations agenda.
If we keep looking down at our feet, we will die  of sorrow. We choose to look up. We move forward, knowing that we are not alone on this challenging journey. Only 12 months ago, the international community heard our cry and stood with us. That has made us stronger and more motivated. To those who came to our aid, we thank them and urge them to stay the course over the next few years. Let us set the example of a better future for all humankind. Let history record what we did, not what we said, and the efforts we made to end the march of climate change globally and reduce our vulnerabilities locally. We must grasp this moment together.


On behalf of the Government and the people of Nigeria, I congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her well-deserved election as President  of  the  General  Assembly  at  its seventy-third session. As she embarks upon her assignment, I would like to assure her of Nigeria’s support in no less measure than that which we extended to her predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajčák. We appreciate his effective leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, his dedication, commitment and the fairness with which he treated all Member States. I also salute our Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, who has steered the affairs of the Secretariat with a focused commitment to the collective United Nations pursuits of global peace and security, equity and justice, inclusiveness, women’s empowerment and human rights.
It is appropriate at this point to remember with deep sadness our late  seventh  Secretary-General,  Mr. Kofi Annan, who passed away on the eve of his eighty-second birthday. Kofi Annan’s significant contributions to the work of the Organization have been acknowledged in the well-deserved tributes that poured in from around the world following his death. We in Africa, while mourning the loss of this great son of ours and citizen of the world, take pride in the way he served humankind in a truly exemplary  manner. He demonstrated in his calm but determined manner the virtues of compassion, dedication to the cause of justice, fairness and human rights. He was a visionary leader who inspired hope, even in the face of the most daunting challenges. He devoted his entire life’s career to the United Nations and the pursuit of its ideals and goals. The world is indeed a better place thanks to his exemplary service.
During the past year, the world saw some positive results and encouraging signs from the bilateral and multilateral efforts of  the  international  community in addressing conflicts, crises and threats to world peace. We particularly commend the efforts of the

leaders of the United States, North Korea and South Korea in making headway towards our shared goal of a nuclear-free Korean peninsula. In that connection, we acknowledge the commitment to peace shown by President Donald Trump and Chairman  Kim  Jong  Un by initiating a historic summit. We urge them to continue that positive engagement.
Regrettably, many of the crises and threats to peace and security around the world, on which we debated last year and several previous years, remain unresolved. In some cases, matters have deteriorated. The continuing plight of the Rohingyas in Myanmar, the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the wars in Yemen and Syria and the fight against international and local terrorism, such as Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, come to mind. The terrorist insurgencies that we face, particularly in the Sahel and the Lake Chad basin, are partly fuelled by local factors and dynamics, but now increasingly by the international jihadi movement, runaway fighters from Iraq and Syria and arms from the disintegration of Libya.
Fortunately, the carnage appears to have somewhat abated in Myanmar. We commend the United Nations for staying focused on the situation of the Rohingya people in order to bring their suffering to an end and hold to account the perpetrators of the atrocious crimes committed against innocent and vulnerable members of that community, including women, children  and the elderly. The international community should strengthen its resolve to combat ethnic and religious cleansing everywhere. We support the United Nations efforts in ensuring that the Rohingya refugees are allowed to return to their homes in Myanmar with security, protection and a guarantee of citizenship. We note the indication by the  Government of  Myanmar of its willingness to address those issues, and we encourage it to do so expeditiously. In that context, Nigeria commends the Government and the people of Bangladesh in particular, and all other countries and organizations that have contributed to shouldering the burden of providing shelter and other vital assistance to the Rohingya refugees.
The carnage and the worsening humanitarian situations in Syria and Yemen continue unabated. But the international community cannot afford to give up on the Syrian and Yemeni peoples. We must pursue all efforts to find peaceful negotiated political solutions to those wars, which cannot be won by the force of arms alone. Regarding Syria, we hope that the United
Nations-sponsored Geneva process and the Sochi initiative, led by Russia, Iran, and Turkey, can advance that objective. The international community must keep up the pressure to encourage the parties to pursue the path of dialogue, negotiations and inclusiveness in resolving their sectarian divides and bringing to an end the  immense human suffering in Syria, as  well  as in Yemen. We commend Turkey, Jordan, Greece, Germany, Italy and France for hosting the millions of the refugees fleeing those brutal conflicts.
The situation in the Middle East, as grave as  it has always been, is now worsened by developments since we last met (see A/72/PV.3).  Nigeria continues to call on the Israelis and the  Palestinians to  make  the necessary compromises in the interests of justice, peace and security, in line with numerous United Nations resolutions and applicable international law. Unilateral, arbitrary and insensitive actions only prolong the conflict and undermine world peace and security. The deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza is an appalling result of the unrestrained use of power. We urge both parties to re-engage in dialogue on the basis of the relevant United Nations resolutions, the Madrid principles, the Quartet road map and the Arab Peace Initiative, among others. Nigeria reaffirms its unwavering support for a just two-State solution, negotiated without intimidation and with Israel and Palestine existing side-by-side in peace and security. The crises in the Middle East have deep roots and have remained unresolved for too long. Yet we should not fall into self-defeating despair and conclude that they are not amenable to solution.
We should draw inspiration from the remarkable leadership that motivated Ethiopia and Eritrea to restore long-lost hope for peace between them, a remarkable show of statesmanship that has now galvanized neighbouring countries, including Djibouti and Somalia, to push for peace in the subregion. I believe that with hard work, commitment and a disposition to compromise and make the necessary sacrifices, peace is achievable in the Middle East as well. Most crises usually have a variety of festering causes and effects. It is the failure to address them early and effectively that lead to out-of-control conflicts. Addressing them includes national and international collective actions that have a positive impact on peoples and communities. Therefore, “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, which

is the theme for this year’s General Assembly, is very apt indeed.
A topical consequence of the current conflicts around the world is the irregular migration of affected people from the Middle East, Afghanistan and Africa to Europe. Irregular migration entails huge avoidable loss of human lives, puts strains on services in host countries and communities and fuels anti-immigrant and racist sentiments in Europe. That is why we welcome the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the first-ever global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration. We look forward to its adoption in Marrakech later this year. The aim is to protect the rights of migrants worldwide while addressing the concerns of countries of origin, transit and destination alike. Migration is a  constant  in  human affairs. We in Africa are grateful to countries that treat migrants with compassion and humanity, notably Germany, Italy and France. Irregular migration is not a consequence of conflicts alone, but of the effects of climate change and the lack of opportunities at home. Climate change remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Very close to us at home, it is our lot in Nigeria, together with our neighbours around the Lake Chad basin, to live with the climate change consequences of a drastically shrunken Lake Chad and the parching up of otherwise fertile arable lands.
Lake Chad was a major source of livelihood for the more than 45 million inhabitants of the region. Its shrinking has meant the loss of such livelihoods, and the region’s inhabitants have been impoverished and made vulnerable to the activities of extremists and terrorist groups. The instability caused in the subregion has intensified internal displacements, leading, among other consequences, to intense economic competition, especially between farmers and herdsmen. That is  why we continue to call for dedicated international engagement to accelerate recovery efforts in the Lake Chad basin to address the root causes of the conflicts in the region. What is required is continuous and robust United Nations cooperation with national Governments and subregional and regional organizations, such as the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, to enhance capacity in conflict prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding.
With regard to the Lake Chad basin plight, I extend our heartfelt appreciation to the United Nations, the Governments of Germany, Norway, the United States,
Sweden, the United Kingdom and France and a host of other development partners for their laudable support in assisting us in addressing both the humanitarian challenges and the  ongoing  stabilization  drive  in  the region.
Corruption within countries and the illicit flow of funds across national boundaries have a huge negative impact on the stability, peace and economic prospects of millions in developing countries. Corruption significantly deprives national Governments of resources to provide meaningful livelihoods for their populations, who are predominantly young people, thereby giving rise to more irregular migration. The fight against corruption therefore involves us  all.  It  is in our collective interest to cooperate in tracking illicit financial flows, investigate and prosecute corrupt individuals and entities and repatriate such funds to their countries of origin. Fighting corruption and resolving international conflicts, crises  and wars; defeating terrorism and piracy; curbing arms trafficking and the proliferation of small arms and light weapons, which fuel such conflicts, in particular in Africa; stemming irregular migration by addressing its root causes; and the many other global challenges we are faced with today can be effectively addressed only through multilateral cooperation and concerted action.
The only global institutional framework we have to address those challenges is the United Nations system. That is why we continue to call for the strengthening of the Organization to make it more effective by speeding up the pace of progress towards its reform, including that of its principal organ, the Security Council. The reconstitution of the Council to make it more equitable and more representative of our global community is both a political and moral imperative. We believe that a reformed Security Council, with expanded membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, is in accord with prevailing international consensus and it is in our collective interest to do so. It is high time we stop skirting around the issue and establish achievable benchmarks and time frames for such reforms.
I  assure  all   members  that  in  such   advocacy   I am only reflecting Nigeria’s deep and abiding commitment to our Organization and its founding principles and goals. From the day we joined in 1960, we have contributed our quota to the fulfilment of the mandate of the United Nations. We have been active participants in many Security Council- and African Union-authorized peacekeeping operations around

the world, beginning with the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1960. Furthermore, Nigeria has always mobilized the required human and material resources to achieve certain United Nations goals,  including  the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We are resolute in complementing the efforts and examples of the United Nations to promote gender equality and youth empowerment as necessary pillars for sustainable development.
Without such efforts there can be neither enduring peace nor security. As we craft and implement our national policies to achieve the goals set, we, in the spirit of international solidarity, will readily cooperate with other nations seeking to achieve  similar goals for their own populations to help ensure that no one is left behind.


The General Assembly is holding its seventy-third session at a special moment as we pay tribute to two towering

figures of world politics, both sons of Africa: Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan.
Today, exactly one year since my inauguration as President of the Republic of Angola, I have the honour, on behalf of the Angolan people, to  address  from  this rostrum for the first time the entire international community, represented here by its highest dignitaries. I salute the Heads of State and Government present here, as well as the leaders of the various international organizations and bodies, whom I believe to be working directly for the future of our planet.
I take this opportunity  to thank the entire international community for its  support  for  peace and reconciliation in my country, Angola. I also offer my particular gratitude to the United Nations for the decisive role it played in  establishing  lasting  peace in Angola through two peace missions — the United Nations Angola Verification Mission and the United Nations Observer Mission in Angola — and for the important work of its specialized agencies, funds and programmes, in particular UNICEF and the World Food Programme.
We also believe that Angola’s experience in building peace and pursuing reconciliation between parties in conflict has served as a positive example for the United Nations, providing useful insights for approaching peace processes in other parts of the world. Angola has unique experience in building and maintaining lasting peace, continuously deepening national reconciliation, social inclusion and mutual forgiveness, and healing the wounds of the armed conflict, which ended almost 16 years ago.
We gather in the General Assembly  to  discuss and resolve the most serious problems and conflicts that threaten the very survival of humankind. I am referring to the hunger and poverty that affect millions of citizens around the world, global warming and its consequences, mass migration and especially illegal migration, trafficking in drugs, in human organs, and in children and women for forced prostitution, religious intolerance and extremism, terrorism, inter-ethnic armed conflicts, war among nations or even the uncontrolled proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Established 73 years ago with the declared purpose of restoring universal peace and harmony,
conferring equal rights on nations large and small,  and establishing a world  of  cooperation,  progress and well-being, the United Nations is still far from achieving the goals enshrined in its Charter. While it is true that, immediately following that establishment, the immediate polarization of the planet into two antagonistic political and economic systems hindered the operationalization of principles favouring international peace and security, it would be unfair to deny that the United Nations has played a commendable role in ending colonialism, promoting human rights, supporting international development and cooperation, and managing and containing flashpoints of tension around the world.
Despite the progress made to date, we must acknowledge the long-standing conflicts yet to be settled, such as that between the Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East, which can be resolved only through a solution based on two States living peacefully side by side, as advocated by the United Nations and the overwhelming majority of its Member States.
We welcome the recent efforts of the United States of America, North Korea and South Korea, with the contribution of the People’s Republic of China, towards the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which has considerably reduced tensions that threatened to trigger a nuclear conflict that would endanger not only the region but international security in general.
With the end of the so-called Cold War, symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the momentous emergence of a new political paradigm oriented towards multilateralism, the United Nations eagerly resumed its work towards building a peaceful world order. We believe that, by working diligently together, we can achieve this goal.
Today, in a time of ascendant globalization, there is no justification for the continued proliferation of apparently unresolvable conflicts of varying scale in several parts of the world, or for entire populations to continue suffering their tragic consequences, virtually abandoned to their fate. It is against  this backdrop that many voices are demanding profound reform of the United Nations so that it can better reflect today’s world, where the emergence of new centres of economic and financial power and technological and scientific advances fully justify changes to the Organization’s structures and intervention mechanisms, as well  as the enlargement and reform of the Security Council

to better represent the various geopolitical regions of our planet.
The  political  configuration  of   today’s   world, in which local, regional and intra-State conflicts represent the principal focus of international tensions and threats to peace, requires the United Nations to play an increasingly active role in promoting and assisting  political, social  and  economic  processes of democratization. This is the best way to resolve conflicts,  be  they  domestic, international,   ethnic or religious, which in most cases arise as a result of policies of authoritarianism or exclusion, intolerance, radicalism or interference in the internal affairs of sovereign States. International terrorism, transnational organized crime, illegal immigration, xenophobia, trafficking in people and in drugs, and other scourges have today reached new proportions, affecting the quality of life of the inhabitants of the planet and calling for coordination at the highest level among all States Members of our Organization.
The seventy-third session of the General Assembly is being held under the theme “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”. The United Nations should therefore attach priority to promoting and upholding human rights and strive to solve humankind’s global problems — such as those relating to security, the environment, reducing inequality between the rich and the poor, and development — with a view to safeguarding world peace. We advocate the decentralization of the global financial system, based both on the promotion of trade and regional economic integration systems, and the enhancement of regional financial institutions on terms that allow for more sustainable economic development.
Throughout our history as an independent country, our cooperation with the United Nations has always been a constant; it has helped us not only to relaunch our economy, but also to engage in seeking to build peace, democracy and development in southern and central Africa. The Republic of Angola stands ready to continue supporting all efforts to promote cooperation among all nations of the world in building peace and strengthening cooperation, trade and investment relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels.


I begin by sharing peace and blessings among us all and conveying warm Pacific greetings from the Government and the people of Kiribati. In the name of Almighty God, Kam na bane ni Mauri — May all be blessed.
I join other leaders in congratulating the President of the General Assembly, and the Government of Ecuador, on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I wish her every success as she discharges her functions by making the United Nations family relevant to all  Members. By  the same token, I would also like to acknowledge the outgoing President, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, and the Slovak Republic for the very engaging and outcome-oriented leadership of the seventy-second session. I also thank the Secretary-General for his excellent leadership, in particular with regard to the current reform to make the United Nations fit for purpose and more adaptable for the present and future.
We commend the President of the General Assembly for the theme that she has chosen for the seventy-third session, “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”. That is a strong call on and reminder to all leaders and the United Nations machinery that the  effectiveness of our efforts is measured not by how much we have achieved, but by how much we have changed the lives of those whom we serve for the better. Clearly, it was the primary intent of the founders that this should be the United Nations as they envisioned it. It is about servant leadership, whereby leadership is not only about serving but, more important, about protecting the lives of the powerless — those without a voice, those taken advantage of by the more powerful in society, and those who cannot help themselves politically.
We are reminded time and again that those people’s lives are precious in the sight of God. In her captivating and simple words, Mother Theresa reflected powerfully on the life of a servant leader when she said, “A life not lived for others is not a life”. As leaders, it is our shared responsibility to ensure that we see to that. The theme also provides a timely call for a renewal of friendship, solidarity, cooperation and partnership between and among the peoples and nations of the world, thereby allowing greater commitment on all our part to make a difference for the well-being of all.

Kiribati has long recognized the prime importance of peaceful living, characterized by our own traditional, humble way of living in harmony with one another and our environment. Those are sustained through regular community meetings in traditional local meeting houses, called maneaba, to discuss important issues concerning the village and to address issues  under  the wise and experienced guidance of our elders. Decisions are made to promote mutual understanding, respect and cooperation among members of the entire society. Maneaba means “to embrace all” — a holistic system in which leadership and shared responsibility are undertaken for the benefit of the whole society. Accordingly, the maneaba system maintains its fundamentality as central and relevant to the people.
In the Pacific context, other relevant instruments have been adopted to address social, economic and political risks and security. Some  have  worked, while others have not, but that does not stop us from maintaining our resolve, through our own Pacific way, to undertake meaningful dialogue in which agreement through consensus serves as a prevalent norm. Moreover, the Pacific accounts for 20 per cent of the world’s oceans in terms of our exclusive economic zone, and therefore the completion of maritime boundaries is very critical to providing certainty about the ownership of our ocean space in the face of climate change.
A united world free from the threats of wars and violence, rooted in our greed to dominate others, is the kind of world that we want for all of us and for our children’s generation. Our ultimate aim is to ensure that everyone can lead a happy, prosperous and secure future. The adoption of the historic United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in 1982 has also enabled us to own and sustainably manage a huge area of ocean, from which we can further improve our well- being and enjoy returns from our fisheries resources. The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty has also assured us that the radiation-related illnesses suffered by our people during and after the 1960s nuclear testing on Christmas Island and other parts of the world will not recur in the future. There are many other examples of how international resolutions and  instruments have contributed immensely to our national efforts to improve our island way of life. We have no doubt that other peoples and nations see the United Nations in the same light.
As an organization, the United Nations is bound to be constantly pulled and pushed between two opposing
but interconnected interests: the personal interests of those leading and driving it, on the one hand, and the interests of the people for whom it exists, on the other. It is therefore critical that the Assembly have the ability to ensure that a balance is maintained so that the United Nations does not end up benefiting only those running and facilitating its operations.
In that regard, we  look  forward to the outcome  of the reform of the United Nations development system, on which our views have been adequately expressed through statements made on our behalf by the groupings of the Pacific small island developing States, the Alliance of Small Island States, the least developed countries and the Group of 77 and China. In particular, we look forward to the positioning of a new Resident Coordinator to serve the northern and central Pacific territories and countries. We also look forward to the outcome of other reforms and reviews pertaining to the Security Council, the Human Rights Council, the eligibility and graduation criteria in relation to least developed countries and, finally, the financing status of the United Nations.
We also fully appreciate the United Nations particular focus on the plight of people in developing countries, especially those facing special difficulties. In that connection, we note with gratitude the Committee for Development Policy’s recognition of Kiribati’s extreme vulnerability to the impacts of climate change and the need for special support. That gratitude extends to the President and members of the Economic and Social Council for agreeing to our request to have our graduation case considered in three years’ time.
We are concerned to learn  from  the  report  of the Secretary-General (A/73/1) about the financial difficulties facing the United Nations to the extent that it is affecting not only its services but also the well- being of its staff. We understand that the United Nations has been relying more on voluntary contributions and private-sector funding than assessed membership contributions, which is a significant risk. It is therefore high time for us to reassess the validity of certain activities of the United Nations that have outlived their time and the need to realign strategies that were quite applicable and effective during the post-war years, when States were the key drivers of United Nations services. Those are no longer effective with United Nations services becoming the exclusive domain of huge multinational corporations that often put profit- making over moral and ethical considerations.

One example is the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance. Those funds could have been better spent on eliminating the root causes of conflicts, armed terrorism and humanitarian crises by investing United Nations resources in the establishment of good governance, with good-quality, free education and health services. In that way, the collective resources of the world can be spent to treat the causes and not merely the symptoms.
Kiribati presented, for the first time, its voluntary national review report to the United Nations in July. As I stressed in the video introduction of our review, Kiribati has now embarked on a bold and bright narrative that carries our people’s voice and determination, boosted by various resilience-building programmes allowing us to forge ahead with a 20-year road map and transforming Kiribati into a wealthy, healthy  and  peaceful nation by 2036. That is  our Kiribati 20-year vision, known  as KV20, which aspires to move the nation and people beyond orthodoxy through the unleashing of the enormous potentials vested in our fisheries and tourism. I must, however, emphasize that underpinning the drive and implementation of that ambitious aspiration is making Kiribati a corruption-free society, as part of our strong commitment to championing anti-corruption in the Pacific.
We will follow through on that with the regional leaders meeting on anti-corruption, to be held on our shores in 2019. Corruption undeniably poses a human risk to all forms of development, and it is the weak and the marginalized who suffer and bear the highest cost of such unethical practices. Kiribati has also, for the first time ever, launched a climate change policy. That focuses on building and strengthening the resilience  of our islands and people in adapting to the impacts  of climate change. The policy highlights priority areas in water management, sanitation, coastal protection and renewable energy, and will serve as the country’s national compass for the delivery of all climate-change programmes in Kiribati. We acknowledge our many partners that have worked and continue to work with Kiribati. We welcome those who are also ready to work and journey together with us to build and strengthen the resilience of our people and islands.
To that end, I am pleased to reaffirm that we continue to maintain 11 per cent of our exclusive economic zone in the Phoenix Islands, comprising over 400,000 square kilometres of ocean as a marine protected area. That well-known area — the Phoenix Islands Protected
Area — is considered to be a powerful and effective tool for the rejuvenation of tuna fisheries and other marine organisms and a source of resilient coral species, known as super corals, many of which have a lifespan of over 100 years. From our understanding of the early findings of science, the Phoenix Islands Protected Area is home to one of the richest, most diverse and most resilient marine ecosystems on the planet. It has the potential to become the most powerful source of marine life enrichment and provide solutions to many of the problems facing humankind, which the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is trying to address.
By closing off the area  to  commercial  fishing, we have sacrificed a substantial amount of annual income  from  fishing  licences,  which is  estimated at approximately 10 per cent of our annual fishing revenue, averaging almost $10 million  annually. While that is forgone revenue, it is part of Kiribati’s strong commitment to implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, I am proud  to announce that Kiribati has also declared its entire exclusive economic zone as a shark sanctuary, which has been incorporated into our national laws. In that regard, we commend current efforts to create new legally binding instruments on the use of marine biological diversity in marine areas outside our exclusive economic zone, migration and the environment, all of which are very important for small islands like Kiribati, including other nations and peoples.
The United Nations theme to be delivered in the next 12 months is about all the people living on this planet. That theme will be irrelevant if the United Nations continues to ignore the 20 million people who live and contribute to our shared home and to exclude them from the process. We are one family, and we therefore call for an inclusive approach enabling Taiwan to participate in international processes and to contribute to addressing areas of concern to this United Nations organ, including the implementation of the SDGs.
For too long, we have been confined to our human desire to dominate, while lacking consideration, compassion and respect for others as they seek to pursue sustainable development in their own  right  and space, but let us remind ourselves and the United Nations family of the equally important responsibility of recognizing a space for a United Nations prayer day. The objective in that regard is to seek divine guidance for our work agenda. Quite often, we tend to overlook the importance of divine guidance as a powerful tool

that can really unite our hearts in a shared aspiration to make the United Nations a truly global institution for all people and to build the trust, respect and love that we all need to make a genuine difference. May God’s grace and compassion continue to bless our hearts as we strive to strengthen the Organization.
In conclusion, I wish to share Kiribati’s traditional blessings of Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa, which means “health, peace and prosperity to us all”.


First of all, I wish to congratulate you, Madam, on your assuming the position of President of the General Assembly at its current session and provide assurances of Latvia’s full support. I also express gratitude to Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his active role as President of the General Assembly at its previous session.
I address the Assembly at a very special time for my country. This year, Latvia celebrates its centennial. A remarkable change occurred 100 years ago. The end of the First World War and the collapse of empires resulted in the liberation of nations and brought about a fundamental revision of Europe’s political map. A new Europe was born, which promised much more than just self-determination, freedom and democracy. The peoples of Europe expected lasting peace and prosperity. Those objectives were pursued both individually and collectively. Peoples’ right to self- determination materialized in concrete forms. New nation States were born.
The Paris Peace Conference laid the foundations for the League of Nations, which was the first international organization whose principal mission was

to maintain universal peace through the development of binding norms and multilateralism. Latvia also joined the League of Nations, firmly establishing its status  as a full-fledged member of the international family. However, the weakness of the League of Nations was one of the main reasons why Latvia, for a  time, lost  its independence. The history of both the Soviet and Nazi occupations of Latvia and much of the European continent is a harsh reminder of what happens when serious violations of international law are tolerated. We know all too well the consequences of allowing countries to break those principles with impunity. In Latvia’s case, it was a life under the occupation of Nazi and Communist regimes of terror and gross violations of human rights.
We are grateful to all those nations that for decades implemented policies of non-recognition of the occupation of the Republic of Latvia and stood by their principles. In accordance with international law, the State of Latvia continued to exist throughout the occupation period. However, the Russian Federation —  the official successor to the Soviet Union — still does not acknowledge the well-documented facts of history. I call on Russia to embrace the truth and clearly condemn the actions of the Soviet Union.
Since the restoration of independence in 1991, Latvia has been advocating compliance with international law and human rights. The protection of those principles was necessary throughout our transition to a democratic society, which was governed by the rule of law, and in building Latvia’s international role. Today, Latvia is
a modern and proud European nation and an active
member of the world community.
The topic of this year’s debate invites us to focus on the very heart of the United Nations. The Charter of the United Nations starts with the words “We the peoples of the United Nations”, thus pointing out the Organization’s aim to represent the rights and interests of every human being on the planet. The United Nations was founded not only to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights but also to respect the obligations of international law.
Human rights, including women’s and children’s rights, are among the most fundamental values of the United Nations. The Organization  must  be  capable of defending those  values  in  any  situation,  be  it  the bombing of civilians in Syria, the massacre of Rohingyas in Myanmar, the persecution of Crimean Tatars by the Russian authorities or other human rights violations wherever they occur. This year, we mark 70 years since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It remains the main global source of inspiration to continue working to ensure that all people may live with dignity and benefit from the blessings of freedom and equality.
Security and human rights go hand in hand. Security cannot be achieved without respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. The freedom of the press has been and continues to be vital to peace, justice and human rights for all. I therefore once again urge Russia to release the illegally detained Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov. I call on the Myanmar authorities to free the two Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone. I also call on Russia to immediately release the other 64 Ukrainian political prisoners it has detained, including journalist Roman Sushchenko. I urge nations to adhere to their commitments and obligations under international law and international human rights law, especially with regard to the freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, which have notably deteriorated in the past year.
In order to strengthen the role of the United Nations, efforts should be made to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter of  the United Nations. In August, the world  lost an inspirational leader and   a strong advocate for peace and human rights, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who argued that we will not enjoy security without development, nor

development without security, and we will not enjoy either without respect for human rights. The three pillars of the Charter are greater than the sum of their individual parts. Economic progress and sustainable development are based on long-term stability, which in turn requires peace and security and respect for human rights.
The United Nations must be able to change, undertake serious reforms and thereby respond to the demands of the twenty-first century accordingly. We need a relevant and efficient United Nations. Latvia welcomes the reforms initiated by the Secretary-General in the three areas of peace and security, development and management. It is important that the reforms be implemented swiftly. This is a unique Organization with a heavy responsibility. The authority of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security must be preserved. Security Council  reform is long overdue, and we should all aim to strengthen the efficiency of that important body. However, the stalemate in the reform of the Security Council must not impede progress elsewhere. The reform of the United Nations must include serious improvements in the protection and promotion of human rights.
Achieving sustainable development through the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development cannot be complete without strengthening human rights around the world. The Human Rights Council must be strong and effective and have the ability to react quickly to serious human rights violations in any part of the world. Latvia is actively engaged in the process of improving the effectiveness of the Council. I invite all countries to join that process with an open mind.
Latvia supports the Secretary-General’s vision and approach with regard to focusing on prevention at the United Nations. That is even more important given the increasingly complex global security challenges that we face. Conflicts and crises around the world that could not be prevented drag on for years and decades, destroying human lives, holding back development and draining the resources of the United Nations.
The conflicts in Syria, Ukraine and Yemen continue to take a heavy toll on civilians. We must also not forget the protracted instability in Burundi and Afghanistan. The mere length of preventable conflicts undermines the credibility of international organizations, including the United Nations.
As the main guarantor of  international  peace  and security, the Security Council has a particular responsibility in preventing conflicts, acts of aggression and mass atrocities. The use of the veto to shield narrow national interests in situations of mass atrocities is completely unacceptable.
Territorial integrity and sovereignty, as enshrined in the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, must be respected by all. The Russian Federation must stop its aggression against Ukraine. Together with the international community, we will maintain a non-recognition policy with regard to the illegal annexation of Crimea. I believe that one day international law and justice will  prevail  and  that  the territorial integrity of Ukraine, as well as that of other eastern partners of the  European  Union,  will be restored. The United Nations, along with relevant regional players, must remain involved and committed to resolving the protracted conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. The history of the Baltic States is proof of the moral power of international law and justice. The international community must be more active in resolving those issues.
No nation was ever secure in isolation. Member States therefore have a responsibility to ensure one another’s security. Clear consequences for aggressors, resolute international pressure and accountability for violations of international law are essential for the political resolution of a conflict. Settlement of the protracted conflicts in wider Europe remains of the utmost importance to the international community.
Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals is the ultimate prevention agenda. They address the drivers and root causes of instability and conflict. Investing in human dignity, eradicating poverty, fostering climate resilience and promoting economic and social progress will reduce the incidence of conflict, instability and despair.
The principles of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, gender equality and environmental sustainability therefore guide all Latvia’s activities in the area of development cooperation. Furthermore, gender equality is  vital  to  achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. It is an essential precondition for inclusive sustainable development and for economic growth and prosperity.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, combatants accounted for 90 per cent of conflict- related casualties. Today, 90 per cent of casualties in armed conflicts are civilians. Conventional arms kill approximately 500,000 people a year, of whom 70,000 are killed in conflict zones. Those figures clearly prove that the international community must focus not only on weapons of mass destruction but also on conventional arms.
With that in mind, Latvia will assume the presidency of the Arms Trade Treaty next year and will spare no effort to promote its objectives. I call on all States to become parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, which would also contribute directly to the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
We must join efforts to strengthen the principle of multilateralism. In an interdependent and globalized world, we can address and resolve global problems only through multilateral means. In that regard, the United Nations stands out as a good global governance instrument, but it is not a global Government. The ability of  the United Nations to meet the challenges of the world today depends heavily on  the decisions of Governments and on the support of populations for those decisions. With that in mind, I wish to emphasize that the future of multilateralism will  depend  more on changes in the attitudes of Member States than on reforms of the United Nations system. However, as long as the fundamental characteristics of the international system are not changed, the United Nations can only strive for higher effectiveness and efficiency.
We should accept the United Nations for what it is. It is not perfect, yet it is a very necessary instrument for the maintenance of peace, economic development and the codification of international law for a more secure world. The United Nations can and must be a significant global player, a community of nations that is proud of its values and committed to multilateralism and the principles of international law.
Member States must support  our  Organization  in order to project those values worldwide, thereby affirming its unique role on the global stage. To achieve that purpose, the United Nations needs well-functioning norms, efficient institutions and a clear vision of its policies.


At the outset, permit me to convey, on behalf  of  His  Excellency Mr. Idriss Deby Itno, President of the Republic of Chad and Head of State, the Chadian delegation’s warmest congratulations and best wishes for success to Her Excellency Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her successful election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. Chad assures her of our support as she strives to fulfil her noble mission.
We would also like to express our sincere thanks and great appreciation to her predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, for the quality of the work conducted and the convincing results achieved during his term. On behalf of Chad, I would also like to recognize the leadership of Secretary-General António Guterres and thank him for his continued commitment to strengthening the role of the United Nations and promoting its partnership with regional organizations, particularly the African Union.
Chad welcomes the relevance of the President’s strategic vision for this session, “Dialogue and strengthening of multilateralism as a catalyst for the well-being of all persons and a sustainable planet”. The choice of this theme is justified in many ways. We live in a world experiencing perpetual change where we are confronted with the serious consequences of climate change, conflicts and crises, underdevelopment, unprecedented    migratory    flows,     nationalism and isolationism.
In a world so deeply troubled and exposed to such diverse and grave perils, humankind has no choice but to further unite around the shared universal values underpinning the establishment of the United Nations, a melting pot of nations and peoples of the world aspiring to live together in peace, mutual respect, solidarity, complementarity and a common destiny. Our future, as well as that of generations to come for whom we are responsible, depend on it.

More than anywhere else, Africa in general and the countries of the Sahel in particular are experiencing the combined negative effects of all these aforementioned scourges. My country, Chad, surrounded by hotbeds of conflict and crisis and in  a  region  characterized by burgeoning terrorism, illicit trafficking  of  all kinds — including human trafficking related to illegal immigration — transnational crime, drought and desertification, is deeply affected.
On the basis of the firm conviction that there can be no development, peace or stability without security, Chad, despite its meagre resources, has been obliged to engage on several fronts in the fight against terrorism, across the Lake Chad basin and the Sahel.  Despite the immense sacrifices made both individually and collectively with the countries of the subregion, the terrorist threat remains present and persistent and jeopardizes all our development efforts.
Terrorist groups linked to vast criminal networks of all kinds of heavily armed and wealthy traffickers continue to test our individual response capabilities. This does not begin to cover the efforts required to address other security challenges such as mercenaries, the circulation and proliferation of weapons, poaching, deforestation, piracy and conflicts related to environmental degradation.
Although it is true that the collective commitment and determination of the member States of the Lake Chad Basin Commission have led, within the framework of the Multinational Joint Task Force, to the military defeat of the terrorist group Boko Haram, the group clearly remains capable of causing harm. The Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel) member countries  are working just as hard to deal with other terrorist groups operating in this area with their support base in southern Libya.
The fight against terrorism continues with determination from our States, some  of  the  poorest in the world, within the framework of both the Multinational Joint Task Force and the G-5 Sahel. Such work is conducted on behalf and in the interest of all our States and therefore deserves the  full attention and support of the international community, more so through action than through statements and promises often left unfulfilled.
Peace and security are essential for long-term progress and sustainable development. The stability  of a region has far-reaching benefits for neighbouring
regions and beyond, which gives  rise  to  the  need  for a comprehensive approach and coherent and coordinated collective action to address the root causes of terrorism and conflict, including poverty, ignorance and underdevelopment.
In this regard, I firmly reiterate the call made by the Heads of State of the G-5 Sahel member countries at their summit held on 6 February in Niamey, the Niger, asking the members of the Security Council to place the G-5 Sahel Joint Force, whose purpose is to fight the threat of terrorism, under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, in order to secure its sustainable funding and a mandate commensurate with the scope of this international threat. The  operationalization and increased power and effectiveness of the Force depend largely and fundamentally on the mobilization of resources dedicated to this cause. I would also like to reiterate our sincere thanks to Secretary-General António Guterres for his steadfast commitment, principled positions and advocacy for this legitimate request of the G-5 Sahel.
As Chad advances on the path towards socioeconomic development, which  is  a  guarantee  of peace, stability and security, and drawing upon lessons from past and present experiences, my country intends to give priority to our partnerships to achieve concrete results measured in terms of improving the living conditions of our people. In this context, we welcome the ongoing reform of the United Nations Development Support System, which seeks to move away from an assistance-based model to emphasize resilience through sustainable development. We hope that this new approach will take into account the need for regular dialogue, the genuine needs of countries and their priorities when it comes to choosing projects, Government involvement in implementing, monitoring and evaluating projects, and the streamlining of project approval and disbursement procedures.
In the same vein, we welcome the approach of reviewing the United Nations integrated strategy for the Sahel through the United Nations Support Plan for the Sahel. We also stress the need to thoroughly involve the countries concerned in the review process and to take their priorities into account.
Despite multiple security, environmental and socioeconomic challenges, Chad initiated, in 2015, the drafting of two documents on its medium- and long-term development, “Vision 2030: the Chad we want”, and its

first five-year national development plan  2017-2021, in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Government’s approval of these two documents  in July 2017 was followed by the presentation of the national development plan at the round table in Paris in September 2017. I would like to take this opportunity to make, on behalf of my Government, a heartfelt call to all our partners to fulfil the pledges announced at the round table. Keeping these promises is vital for Chad.
The Government of the Republic of Chad, well aware of the prominent role played by women in the country’s development process, is tackling the gender issue as an essential component of and a key priority in the formulation and implementation of public policies. For this purpose, through a law adopted on 22 May, His Excellency Mr. Idriss  Deby  Itno,  President  of the Republic and Head of State, made it compulsory for 30 per cent of all civil servant appointments and elective positions to be set aside for women, with the ultimate goal of gradually achieving gender parity. This quota has already  shown  its  effectiveness  in  its implementation.
In addition,  we  have  taken  specific  measures  to ensure the development of women, including the promotion of girls’ education and the adoption of a  law prohibiting their early marriage. This law sets the minimum age for marriage at 18 years and provides for a prison term of five to 10 years for those who violate this prohibition.
The Lake Chad Conventional Basin is the place where the dramatic consequences of the combined effect of terrorist attacks and climate change on the vulnerable populations, victims of these two scourges, as well as on the environment, are most visible. We must remember that living around Lake Chad are more than 45 million people of diverse origin who bear the full brunt of the consequences of the drying up of Lake Chad, seriously undermining their livelihoods and drastically limiting their resilience capabilities.
The surface area of the Lake Chad has decreased from 25,000 square kilometres 40 years ago to less than 2,500 square kilometres, and the risk of its disappearance is very real. The efforts of four riparian countries and other members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission aimed at saving it are far from adequate to respond to the enormity of the task alone. The gradual disappearance of Lake Chad constitutes a major ecological disaster with serious consequences for food
security and stability in the Sahel, as evidenced by the scarcity of natural resources and the development of the terrorist threat. That is why the international community as a whole must mobilize to lobby to save Lake Chad by supporting the joint initiative of UNESCO and the Lake Chad Basin Commission to register Lake Chad as a biosphere reservation and a World Heritage Site.
The international community is capable of achieving and must help to achieve this noble goal, which is perfectly aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In this regard, Chad once again urges all parties to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda to fulfil their commitments.
Migration management remains one of the greatest challenges of our time. Thousands of African migrants, driven by desperation, are constantly trying to reach Europe and risking their lives in the process. The flow of migrants will not cease so long  as  the root causes of migration persist, including poverty, underdevelopment, conflict and lack of opportunity for African young people. In addition to this are factors such as demographic pressure and the adverse effects of climate change, further accentuating the vulnerability of African societies. In the absence of appropriate sustainable migration management mechanisms that take into account the root causes of the phenomenon, we will never be able to put an end to the tragedy of thousands of people dying at  sea or  in the desert or  to scenes from another era, such as that of African migrants being sold at auction as slaves.
In that regard, we must all make a significant effort to promote economic and social development in the countries of origin and transit of migrants in order to stabilize the situation. Improving our cooperation with those countries is the best way to curb illegal migration. Similarly, urgent measures must be taken to help those currently trapped in transit camps or caught in situations of slavery or serious violence. We must collectively call on States where migrants are subjected to such violence to respect their basic rights and to bring their migration management methods in line with the rule of law. The best way for all of us to address migration challenges is to put in place flexible mechanisms for legal migration and to consider these phenomena, which have existed since time immemorial, as a means of bringing people closer together and not as a threat.

At the continental and international levels, Chad, while remaining concerned about the persistence of conflict zones here and there, welcomes the progress made in some countries. In the Central African Republic, Chad welcomes the commitment of the Central African authorities and the 14 armed groups to entering the path of dialogue under the auspices of the Panel of Facilitators of the African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic. Chad reaffirms its support for the African Initiative, which is led by the African Union and supported by the entire international community. The restoration of trust and the beginning of true reconciliation are within the reach of the brotherly Central African people. We call on all bilateral and multilateral partners to provide the necessary resources for the implementation of the African Initiative.
In Mali, Chad welcomes the  successful holding  of  peaceful  presidential   elections   and   reiterates its congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita on his decisive re-election, which reflects the commitment of the Malian people to the ongoing political process and peace. Chad encourages all Malian stakeholders to fully implement the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, and reaffirms its commitment to supporting Mali in its stabilization phase.
In South Sudan, Chad welcomes the peace agreement recently signed in Addis Ababa by South Sudanese actors and congratulates the Intergovernmental Authority on Development on the fruits of its tireless efforts. Chad urges all parties to the agreement to implement it in good faith.
Chad also welcomes the very positive developments in the Horn of Africa,  characterized by the rapprochement between Ethiopia and Eritrea, as well as that between Eritrea and Djibouti, and hopes to see these processes continue.
In Libya, Chad calls on all Libyan parties to give priority to dialogue and reconciliation over armed conflict. We encourage them to use their goodwill and common sense to turn the page on violence. In this regard, the international community must facilitate dialogue and inclusive reconciliation as an immediate priority with a view to restoring peace and ultimately holding credible, transparent and peaceful elections. It should be recalled that the Libyan crisis has serious security consequences for neighbouring countries, including
Chad, as a result of the chaos in southern Libya, which is a lawless area that serves as a haven for terrorist groups, mercenary gangs and all kinds of traffickers. In this regard, we invite all our partners to support the efforts undertaken by Libya, the Niger, the Sudan and Chad within the framework of the agreement signed on 31 May in N’Djamena among the four countries, with a view to securing their common borders.
In Yemen, Chad reaffirms its support for United Nations efforts to promote a political solution to the crisis and urges the Yemeni actors concerned to give priority to dialogue and comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions.
In Syria, Chad reiterates its support for United Nations mediation efforts and calls on the parties to the conflict to put an end to the suffering they have inflicted on their people for  more  than seven  years by ending the violence and committing themselves resolutely to dialogue and reconciliation. Chad calls on the belligerents to respect international humanitarian law and to facilitate the delivery of aid to civilians.
With regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Chad reiterates its commitment to a two-State solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, stability and security within the June 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine.
With regard to Cuba, Chad notes with concern  the deterioration of that country’s relations with the United States and encourages both sides to continue the process of normalizing their relations. Chad reiterates its call for the lifting of the embargo imposed on Cuba.
I cannot conclude my remarks without addressing the issue of United Nations reform, namely, Security Council reform, which remains a major ongoing concern for Africa. Chad stresses the urgent need to redress the injustice done to Africa by accelerating the long- awaited reform to reflect the realities of today’s world in the United Nations system. The African common position on this point deserves to be taken into account by all States Members of the United Nations if we genuinely want to involve Africa in global governance. Like it or not, the Africa of the twenty-first century is indispensable, and its voice must be heard by the rest of the world.


At the outset, I would like to congratulate the President on her election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I would also like to thank her predecessor for his outstanding work during the previous session. Finally, I also want to convey my country’s appreciation of the valuable efforts being made by Secretary-General António Guterres.
This year, the United Arab Emirates is celebrating the centennial of the birth of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of our union and a leader whose vision entrenched the basis and values of the noble humanity in my country and transformed it into a successful political, economic and social model. As we celebrate the centennial of the birth of our founding leader, we realize that we are not isolated from our surroundings and that our success has increased our humanitarian responsibilities as an Arab country towards a region that faces numerous challenges.
Over the past few years, we have witnessed major changes in the international order, the consequences  of which are becoming more apparent each day, most
notably the rise of armed terrorist groups that rely on extremist ideologies and seek to destabilize and control countries. What is even more dangerous is the support that rogue States are providing to such groups.
Amid those dangerous challenges, which affect the security and stability of every State, especially in our region, it has become imperative for us to be more active in maintaining regional security by strengthening partnerships aimed at addressing current challenges. We realize that we cannot continue to rely on other States to solve the crises in our region. No single country, regardless of its capabilities, can alone restore security and stability, because confronting the transnational challenges that we face is a collective responsibility.
In our endeavour to achieve regional security and stability, my country has followed a comprehensive approach that addresses the various dimensions of the threats in our region, which we believe can be summed up as the following four challenges. The first challenge is foreign interference in the affairs of the Arab world. Certain countries of the region, particularly Iran, seek to undermine the security of the region by spreading chaos, violence and sectarianism. Iran’s interference in Arab affairs has reached an unprecedented level. Ever since those threats reached Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is a sister to all of us, we can no longer afford to remain mere spectators. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia continues to be subjected to a barrage of Iranian ballistic missiles.
The security of countries in the region is interdependent, and our security is tied to that of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. That is why we responded by joining the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen, which seeks to put an end to the Houthi coup and confront Iran’s interference. It is critical in that regard to differentiate between the behaviour of illegitimate armed groups that are committing serious violations and criminal and subversive acts in Yemen, such  as the Houthis, and the legitimate  measures  taken  by the coalition, which was formed at the request of the legitimate Yemeni Government. The coalition’s goal  is to restore stability by taking measured steps that take into account humanitarian aspects and are in accordance with Security Council resolutions.
Despite the coalition’s tireless efforts to restore stability in Yemen and alleviate the suffering of its people, the intransigence of the Houthis in resisting serious peace initiatives, as proved by their absence

from the recent Geneva talks, has exacerbated the humanitarian situation in Yemen. The Houthis continue to obstruct humanitarian assistance and to receive Iranian arms, plant landmines and recruit children. In the light of those serious developments, the forces of the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen launched their military operations in Yemen to liberate Al-Hudaydah from the grip of the Houthis in order to achieve a strategic shift that would enhance the prospects for reaching a political solution. As the coalition carries out its operations in Al-Hudaydah and other areas in Yemen, the humanitarian aspects have always been taken into account. Hence, the Al-Hudaydah operation was planned and implemented in accordance  with  our obligations under international law. We have also strengthened and expanded our humanitarian aid and emergency relief.
At the same time as we are acting to counter the Houthis in the north of Yemen, my country will continue its fight against Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula. That terrorist group was severely impacted after the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen was able to severely damage its forces, cut off its sources of finance and liberate the territories that were under its control.
Mistrust in Iran’s intentions and concerns regarding its regional ambitions are not limited to our region. Those concerns were also reflected in the decision taken by the United States to withdraw from the Iranian nuclear agreement and to reimpose sanctions on Iran, which has never ceased its aggressive behaviour in the region or abandoned its intention to develop weapons of mass destruction, even when the international community granted it the opportunity to rectify its policies and behaviour. In that regard, we stress the importance of a united international position against Iran that addresses that country’s development of ballistic missiles, its support for terrorist groups and its use of proxy wars to undermine regional and international security.
The second challenge  that  the  region  is  facing is the spread of extremism and terrorism and the exploitation of modern technology by extremist and terrorist groups in order to disseminate their dangerous ideologies. Although we have made some promising advances against those extremist and terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq and Yemen and have liberated certain cities in Libya, our fight will continue until the scourge is eliminated.
The situation is becoming more dangerous as some States establish media platforms that incite hatred and serve as rostrums for extremist and terrorist groups. We are facing  extremist  and terrorist  ideologies  that are equally responsible for the acts of violence committed in the name of those ideologies. The United Arab Emirates has therefore been at the forefront of States combating extremism and terrorism in both the ideological and the security realms. In addition, my country has supported international forces such as the Group of Five for the Sahel joint force as part of our efforts to eliminate extremism and terrorism wherever it exists. My country has also established specialized institutions to counter extremist narratives, promote tolerance and disseminate a culture of accepting others and an optimistic vision at all national, regional and international levels.
Convinced that lasting and global peace can be achieved only through peace between religions, the Forum for Promoting Peace launched an international initiative to build an alliance among the Abrahamic religions and world philosophies. That alliance is based on principles that transcend the paradigm of religious arguments and conflicts. It is  based  on  a  paradigm of mutual recognition and cooperation, guided by international covenants and the spirit of our noble values and common virtues.
We stress that our values, which reject both extremism and terrorism, are steadfast and unchanging. We emphasize that our policies to counter and combat the supporters of extremism, violence and hatred make no distinction between a group and a State. To that end, the United Arab Emirates, along with its brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Arab Republic of Egypt and the Kingdom of Bahrain, has taken sovereign measures against Qatar. Those measures are pivotal and decisive in confronting extremism and terrorism, and are considered imperative to achieving a secure region.
The third challenge is posed by the prolonged crises in the region, which are merely managed in the absence of political solutions. In that regard, the United Arab Emirates will persist in supporting the existing political initiatives, including by working with all United Nations envoys. In that connection, the Palestinian question continues to wait for the international community to reach a comprehensive, lasting and just solution  to end the suffering of our Palestinian brothers. We must underscore that this continued humanitarian tragedy is being exploited by extremist groups and rogue States.

Lastly, we believe that the deterioration in the economic, social and humanitarian conditions in the parts of our region is one of the main challenges we face. The successful experience of the United Arab Emirates has led us to believe that wise leadership,  the determination to achieve prosperity and a forward- looking approach are key to building nations and protecting them. My country’s foreign policy therefore includes developmental, humanitarian and cultural dimensions in order to support the needs of the people and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
At the core of the development dimension is the strengthening of economic opportunities and the empowerment of women and youth in countries affected by conflict. We believe that rebuilding Iraq is a prime example of the importance of uniting efforts to help countries recovering from conflict. The international community has to support peaceful and inclusive communities, including through the protection of minorities and the prevention of atrocities committed against them, such as the crimes committed against the Yazidis and the Rohingya.
My country is also playing a vital role in promoting humanitarian and relief assistance to areas  affected by conflicts and disasters around the world. The United Arab Emirates aspires to transform the whole region into a global centre for technology, culture and innovation after decades of crises. My country focuses on anticipating challenges and on investing in advanced fields, such as artificial intelligence, space technology and renewable energy. I  would  like  to  emphasize that empowering women and youth and investing in their unlimited skills contribute to building resilient and cohesive societies and, eventually, stable  and  safe countries.
Today, our Arab region is in dire need of a comprehensive regional transformation that will bring it out of chaos and into stability, and out of isolation and unilateralism into openness and planning for the future. We are cognizant that achieving that transformation will not be easy and that our efforts will succeed only by intensifying collective action. Most importantly, each State must fulfil its responsibilities to reach that goal.
I would like to underscore the vital role of the United Nations in supporting political processes, strengthening dialogue and building confidence among Governments so as to maintain international peace and security, especially given the worrying uncertainty
that currently defines the international order. The United Arab Emirates views the historic agreement reached between Ethiopia and Eritrea, under the auspices of the sisterly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as significant motivation for the international community to strengthen its diplomatic efforts.
In addition, the international community must take a firm and consistent stance towards States that have hostile policies and violate international law and the Charter of the United Nations. The United Arab Emirates reiterates its demand for its legitimate right to sovereignty over its three islands — Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa, which Iran has occupied for 47 years, in flagrant violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. We call once again upon Iran from this rostrum to respond to our repeated

calls and return our rights to where they belong, either voluntarily or through the available peaceful means for resolving international disputes, at the top of which are direct negotiations or referral to the International Court of Justice or international arbitration.
I would like to emphasize that the vision of the United Arab Emirates for the region is based on the values upon which our country was founded, the positive outcomes already achieved by my country at the national level, and our regional experiences in the region side by side with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with whom we  share an optimistic vision and hope for achieving a brighter future for our region and for all peoples.