I cannot begin my statement without sparing a thought for a friendly country, Mexico, struck by a grave natural disaster. We express our solidarity with the families of the victims and our encouragement to the relief workers.
The seventy-second session of the General Assembly is taking place in a complex and constantly moving global context. The socioeconomic effects of globalization, which can create hardship and inequalities, also compound the persistence of major instability in the international geopolitical framework. The world seems more and more unpredictable, especially when it must address extraordinary challenges.
The international community must find a way to overcome those obstacles and look to the future with confidence. There is hope to be found in the signs of optimism that accompany the recovery of our economies. It is up to us to navigate this road to development with responsibility and courage. We must do so first through better governance of global processes to assure robust and inclusive economic growth aimed primarily at reducing inequalities. Italy is convinced that building democratic, pluralistic and inclusive societies that are open to diversity represents not only an ethical imperative but also the best guarantee of peace and stability. This is a fundamental part of a broader commitment to promoting and guaranteeing effective protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of each individual.
The shared journey of hopes and gains undertaken by the European Union — which for Italy represents the first natural dimension of multilateralism — teaches us that we must have the courage to react to the challenges we face daily. In the past two years the European Union has been forced, perhaps for the first time, to abandon its “climate-controlled” environment — perhaps with difficulty — in order to tackle some of the greatest challenges to have emerged since the post-war period. It has not been easy, nor has it been the beginning of the end, which many had feared, but rather an opportunity for a powerful collective reminder of the need to remain united within the European project.
Today I affirm with profound conviction that a new European impetus exists, which Italy not only shares but actively promotes. There is a will to proceed as one to bring the European project closer to the needs of citizens, the challenges of economic growth, security, and migration. It is a project that strengthens the greatly needed global role of the Union in the world, inspired by multilateralism, free exchange and respect for rule of law.
In short, this story concerns us all, because a European Union that can once again give the whole world an example of solidarity, progress, prosperity and effectiveness is a contribution to the progress and development of the whole world. For Italy, the development of social, economic and political inclusiveness, extended also to the labour market, as well as fighting poverty and marginalization, means contributing to a more effective management of the challenge of migration. We must respond with compassion, intelligence and vision to the permanent reality of the vast human movements of our time.
For years, Italy has been engaged in operations to rescue and receive migrants. We have saved and continue to save hundreds of thousands of persons who risked drowning in the Mediterranean, true to our ethical and moral imperatives and to the international obligations we have freely undersigned. We are proud of this, but to consolidate our action we need a general, global response to the migration phenomenon. It cannot rely solely upon the generosity of some territories, in the knowledge that there are nations in the world that are struck by migratory flows on an even larger and more serious scale than Italy.
To continue to affirm and embody the principle of shared and proportionate responsibility, Italy is participating actively in the negotiations that will lead to the adoption of global compacts in the United Nations framework. Our proposal to jointly address the migration phenomenon on a global level is based on three main pillars: investing in support of the countries of origin and transit, protecting the most vulnerable refugees and migrants, and valuing the many positive aspects and opportunities created by migration.
Italy is already the promoter of a true partnership with the African countries. As I have already had occasion to express and repeat today with conviction, the future of Europe is in Africa. It is by investing in Africa that we can address the deep causes of migration, first and foremost economic and demographic inequalities.
We are working with the International Organization for Migration and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to provide assistance to migrants with respect for their human rights, assure the protection of refugees fleeing from wars and persecution and offer favourable conditions and incentives for their voluntary repatriation. Reducing the power of human traffickers is the only way to create progress for legal migration, which is also to the benefit of our countries and does not jeopardize the lives of migrants. To protect those who are weakest is to protect our values. Saving the lives of children allows us to save our societies, our honour and our future.
For Italy, by virtue of our geography and history, our emphasis on responsible and solidary management of the movement of persons is coupled with an emphasis on the security, stability, sustainable development and growth of the Mediterranean and of the African continent as a whole. It is all included in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. We know that the ever-increasing apparent loss of territory for Da’esh in Iraq and Syria has demonstrated the effectiveness of our work but we also know that victory on the ground is not enough. The fanaticism and ideology of Da’esh and of Jihad continue to claim victims and sow terror in our cities and in half of the cities around the world.
Italy is an active partner in the Global Coalition against Da’esh and is engaged in various activities, starting with the presence of its soldiers in Iraq and the second-largest contingent of the Coalition, after the American contingent. Nonetheless, it is because we are engaged with our military forces that we recall that the fight against terrorism requires a multidimensional force. I would mention initiatives such as countering the use of the Internet and social media by terrorists — which we will address here at the United Nations — and the financing of terrorist groups. I would also point to the investments that we must make to promote culture and inclusiveness in our regions and in the neighbourhoods of our cities.
We have devoted great energy in the Security Council, the General Assembly and as the Chair of the Group of Seven (G-7) to upgrade our capacity to respond to the new threats posed by terrorist groups, which are ever-evolving. Libya is the key to restoring to the central Mediterranean its historic role as a driver of civilization, and to countering the risks and threats. As we stated earlier today, its stabilization is a priority objective that must reject every unrealistic hypothesis of a military solution or division of the country.
Italy is a leader in that commitment, and we welcome the fact that the United Nations has returned to action as a leader in Libya at the political level and at the level of providing assistance to refugees and migrants. We have an opportunity to restart the political process and prepare for upcoming elections. We have that opportunity today. It is in our hands and in the hands of the United Nations.
Syria continues to be a source of concern and suffering. Let us not forget that. After six years of unspeakable violence, millions of refugees and hundreds of thousands of deaths, we welcome the recent efforts to promote local truces in the de-escalation zones. Let us also remember that the only road to a lasting solution to the Syrian conflict is a realistic and credible political process.
There can be no stability, peace or reconstruction, or lasting victory over terrorism, or conditions for the voluntary return of refugees in complete security without an inclusive political transition that brings together the various components of Syrian society. That is why I would like to reaffirm today at the General Assembly our full support for the role of the United Nations and of Special Envoy De Mistura, and, at the same time, urge the main regional and international stakeholders to support the road map outlined in Security Council resolution 2254 (2015). Finally, ultimately, there could be no true peace without justice. That means ascertaining who was responsible for committing atrocity crimes over the years, which began with the use of chemical weapons.
Dialogue and reconciliation are also indispensable instruments for lasting peace on the African continent. Italy has intensified and systematized just actions for the Sahel region, in particular for the Niger, Chad and Mali, which are working with immense difficulty to fight terrorist and criminal organizations and the illegal trafficking activities linked to them, starting with the heinous trafficking in persons. In that context, we are convinced that the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5) initiative is essential and we welcomed the decision of the G-5 Sahel countries to launch, with the support of the African Union, a joint force. Italy continues to assure maximum support for the Horn of Africa — the key to stability for the entire region and to resolving a complex crisis aggravated by climate change, which has led to a devastating drought.
Initiatives in Somalia are moving in the right direction. Italy will continue to support them, given our ancient links to that country.
I would be remiss if I did not mention our deep concern about the very serious situation in Venezuela. It is a situation that has turned a rich and prosperous country into a land of crises and suffering. Italy reiterates its call for an immediate and good-faith dialogue, which cannot disregard the four conditions on the table, namely, authorization to send international assistance, a clearly established electoral calendar, the restoration of the Parliament’s powers and the release of all political prisoners.
Finally, we look upon the situation on the Korean peninsula with great anguish and distress, in the face of repeated violations of pertinent Security Council resolutions. It is fundamental for the international community to remain unified and determined in its response and it is in that spirit that, as president of the G-7, Italy promoted a firm group declaration. It is crucial to ensure the full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. Every now and then, someone wonders about the usefulness of the United Nations and about the many things happening in the world, but the resolutions that we have unanimously adopted in recent weeks as instruments to exert pressure on the dictator of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea are a positive result for the United Nations. They demonstrate that we are ready to cooperate with our partners to continue to put the much needed diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime.
With regard to the Iranian nuclear issue, we believe that the international community should ensure that the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action remains a positive factor in the global efforts to counter the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. At the same time, we are convinced of the importance of the full and comprehensive implementation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015).
Autocratic regimes, terrorism and international environmental crises pose a grave threat to the planet. But we, the United Nations, cannot and will not give up this fight. The Secretary-General has made prevention one of his highest priorities, and Italy supports him in that commitment. We need to prevent conflict and natural disasters and the humanitarian and migration crises that follow, which, in turn, cause further instability. Prevention means everything except building barriers. It means instead achieving inclusive and sustainable development and addressing crises with multilateral efforts. We cannot face those threats alone. The response must be a joint response. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development outlines with clear-sighted ambition a shared path forward. Together, we have written the prescription — now we must follow through.
Climate change calls for the same dedicated effort. Secretary-General Guterres pointed that out a few days ago when he said that, if we do not address climate change now, we will ruin many of our grandchildren’s opportunities for a positive and dignified life. We are facing an emergency, the social consequences of which do not need to projected onto the future. They are already tragically apparent. We need only think of the more than 200 million displaced persons who, from 2008 to 2015, were forced to leave their homes due to the devastating effects of climate phenomena.
The crises and the challenges of our time can be overcome, and those of the future can be prevented. It depends on us, the United Nations. We need a United Nations that is more effective in enacting the inspirational principles that continue to be valid after so many years. We count, too, on the leadership of the Secretary-General. We fully support his reform plans, including his commitment to empowering women and girls and the achievement of gender equality as a tool for bolstering the efficiency of the Organization.
That revitalization also obviously includes the reform of the Security Council to render it more democratic, effective and representative of the entire membership of the United Nations — because, just as the membership has evolved and expanded since its establishment, the same must occur in the primary organ that is its centre of responsibility.
The current global scenario calls upon us to respond to many challenges that demonstrate that history did not end a quarter of a century ago, as some had believed. We are called upon to constantly renew our endorsement of the values of peace, human rights, democracy and freedom. In other more difficult times of our history, we have seen those values retreat, but we know that even in the most difficult times, democracy can renew itself and grow and, in the end, can prevail.


I bring warm greetings from the Government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati, on whose behalf I am very honoured and humbled to address this gathering. In our traditional way and in the Lord’s name, I share with the General Assembly blessings and peace. May all be blessed.
I join previous speakers in congratulating you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. You have an important responsibility to chart and lead the course of our work during this session, and I am confident that, under your able leadership, we will achieve the goals and targets set for this session based on the theme “Focusing on people: striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”. Please be assured of our full support and cooperation.
I join others in commending and acknowledging with gratitude and pride the marvellous leadership of your predecessor and our Pacific brother, His Excellency Ambassador Peter Thomson of Fiji. As this is our new Secretary-General’s first general debate, I extend to him our heartfelt congratulations on his assumption of the leadership of our Organization, and acknowledge his unwavering commitment to reforming the United Nations in order to make it more inclusive and responsive to the contemporary global realities facing its Member States.
I congratulate you, Sir, on the theme you have chosen for this session. It serves as a reminder to us of two of the great wonders of creation: our people and our planet. They are giving rise, however, to great concern both for today and for tomorrow. People are the fundamental foundations of our families, our societies, our nations and our planet, bound together by strong human values and a strong faith in God. The theme reminds us of our important responsibility as leaders to ensure that human lives, human dignity and human values must prevail over dollar value. We must make sure we serve and deliver on our main objective as a global family to provide a peaceful and secure world without nuclear weapons and promote social progress, better living standards, human rights and dignity for all our citizens. We all want to live a happy life on a safe and sustainable planet.
As leaders of our sovereign nations we are responsible for our people, who are at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Every year, we converge in this Hall from all corners of our planet to represent the voices of our people, to share their triumphs and tribulations and to share our visions for them and for our planet. The voices we represent at this gathering are constant and dominated by messages of trials and challenges with varying degrees of urgency and intensity.
In recent years we have continued to witness human suffering around the world as a result of armed conflicts, terrorism, persecution, corruption, climate change and natural disaster, to name but a few. Over the past few weeks we also have witnessed, through the media, heartbreaking news of the loss of lives and extensive devastation in the Caribbean, Mexico and the United States caused by the unprecedented and continued onslaught of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose and Maria, as well as an earthquake.
While they have not been as widely reported as the hurricanes and earthquakes in the Americas, the intense typhoons and monsoons in Asia have also caused great human suffering and loss. On behalf of the people and Government of Kiribati, I offer our heartfelt condolences and prayers to all victims of those natural tragedies as they try to rebuild their lives after the loss of their loved ones and their homes.
We deal with human suffering in countries affected by rapid-onset disasters, but we must not forget the plight of those in countries such as Kiribati, Tuvalu, the Marshall Islands, the Maldives and other small island developing States, who continue to suffer on a daily basis from the impact of the slow-onset climate disaster. It may not be capturing the attention of the global community, owing to its slow impact and to limited media attention, but it is causing great pain and suffering in our communities.
During this seventy-second session and in view of our theme, the United Nations should focus on the most vulnerable and underprivileged members of our global family, such as the least developed countries and small island developing States. We must provide them with special attention and support so that they can achieve self-sufficiency and enjoy decent and dignified lives. We must make sure they are not left behind in our global journey towards achieving the global development agenda. We must provide a platform on which they can participate meaningfully in international processes that affect their lives. We must make sure their voices are heard.
International processes and systems must be simplified and streamlined so as to enable enhanced participation and easy access to global resources like the Green Climate Fund. Above all else, human lives and dignity must be protected. We must celebrate and build on the diversity of our people, our rich cultures and values. We must respect each other and work together to overcome global challenges and unlock global potential.
Like others, Kiribati looks forward to a day when we will have a different story to tell to our children and our children’s children — a story without heartbreaking human suffering and loss; a story of success and joy. That story must start with the major transformation of our homes, our societies, our nations and our world but, most importantly, with the immediate transformation of our hearts. That is the main source of our global problems.
My Government is embarking on an ambitious transformative 20-year vision for Kiribati towards becoming a wealthy, healthy and secure nation based on accelerated growth and strategic investment in our human, natural and cultural capital. Our priority sectors in the immediate term are fisheries and tourism, with an anticipated boost in our national income levels to help finance our development priorities. Our intervention is targeted at empowering our people at the household and community levels. They are the foundation on which our nation is based. The stronger the foundation, the more resilient and more self-sufficient our nation can be. My Government has put in place income-generation programmes to boost household income levels in order to address poverty and hardship in our society and provide an opportunity for a decent and dignified life for our people.
Our Government’s policy is to serve and deliver to our people based on the principles of good governance and transparency. We have established a parliamentary select committee on anti-corruption. We have enacted a leadership code and put in place the necessary regulations and arrangements for the establishment of a leadership commission next year. Before I left Kiribati earlier this week, I launched our first-ever national anti-corruption strategy covering the public sector, the private sector and civil society. Nurturing and developing a decent life for all requires genuine and inclusive partnerships. We acknowledge existing partnerships and look forward to establishing new ones.
We cannot talk about focusing on people and creating a decent life for all if our United Nations family is incomplete or unbalanced. Every year, we pledge to consolidate and act together to provide a better life for our people, yet we choose to ignore the 23 million people in Taiwan and deprive them of the right to be part of this global family and to participate and contribute meaningfully to the sustainable development agenda. We call for a reform programme that will see Taiwan included in our global family’s efforts and drive to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our planet is struggling to keep up with our insatiable greed and demands. We are stretching our planet’s capacity to dangerous limits. Continuing with unsustainable patterns of production and consumption will undoubtedly push our planet’s life-support system to the brink of collapse. The warning signs of unprecedented natural events, bringing despair and havoc in their wake, should serve as confirmation of the poor health of our planet.
With lessons learned from the damage we have caused to our atmosphere, we must ensure that we act urgently and collectively to conserve our ocean so that we do not repeat the same mistake we made with our atmosphere. I am encouraged to note item 77 on the agenda of the General Assembly, which proposes, among other things, the formulation of an internationally legally binding instrument for the management and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
That is crucial for Kiribati and other countries that rely heavily on revenue from fisheries. A single management failure in any such fisheries area, or any other part of the ocean, could have devastating consequences, not just for the fisheries of a nearby exclusive economic zone but potentially for the fisheries of the entire ocean. Fishing revenue accounts for about 80 per cent of our current budget. I cannot emphasize enough the impact of such an issue on the ambitious vision by which, 20 years from now, Kiribati aspires to implement a self-reliance strategy to harvest, process and market its own tuna.
The ocean has a strong connection to the people and to peace and prosperity. Kiribati has played its part in the conservation and management of the ocean by declaring 11 per cent of its total exclusive economic zone as a marine protected area, a non-commercial zone and a world heritage entity under UNESCO, with the aim of enabling the re-stocking of fisheries resources for the future. We have also declared our entire exclusive economic zone a shark sanctuary. If a small, resource-constrained nation like mine is willing to make such a profound sacrifice, affecting its own economy and a resource for the entire world that its people rely on every day for a living, this global family certainly has a far greater capacity to do more and make sacrifices that focus on people, so that our children and their children can build a decent life in a sustainable environment.
In spite of all those challenges, we remain steadfast in our strong development aspirations and vision for our people. We need swift global action on climate change and we require support to mitigate and alleviate the suffering of our people. We are grateful for the support of all our development partners in our efforts to address the impact of climate change on our people in areas such as water and sanitation, coastal protection of our water resources, our critical public infrastructure and farmland.
Access to climate financing such as the Green Climate Fund takes too long to process and disburse. The longer the delay in delivering that much needed financing for urgent adaptation, the greater the cost to our people and environment. We simply cannot afford to wait any longer. As part of my Government’s plan, Kiribati Vision 20, we have decided to take charge of our fate and put in place innovative financing modalities. That will enable us to fast-track financing support for our sustainable development agenda, especially in relation to climate change and disaster risk management.
With the approval of Parliament, my Government is leveraging our sovereign wealth fund as collateral for concessional debt financing. Ideally, the Government will be looking at concessional debt financing with an interest rate of 1 to 2 per cent, to be repaid when climate or adaptation financing is available. We are currently earning about a 6 per cent return on our investment. That is a move beyond traditional and conventional roles, but we would rather take the initiative to drive our own aspirations and deliver to our people, than wait for financial assistance that may come at a moment far too late. The fate of humankind and life must not be mortgaged to the bureaucratic processes of financial institutions.
In conclusion, as leaders of this global family, we have a moral responsibility to focus on the people we serve, strive for peace and a decent life for all and make sure the health of the planet is sustained so that it can continue to support life. In our quest for sustainable development, we often focus on the economic fundamentals at the expense of human values. For so long, our focus has been diverted from the very purpose of this global family to our individual fights and quest for power, dominance and greed. In the process, we fail to recognize that for some members of this global family, their priority is simply to survive and provide a decent life and future for their children.
The compassion and love that exist within all of us can easily transform our global challenges by focusing on the most vulnerable members of our global family. We contemplate how we can best find grand solutions, when all we really need is to translate the meaning of family into what it stands for — love, compassion, respect, understanding and kindness. Those are priceless solutions to the mounting problems that we continue to battle.
We come to this gathering to listen and converse, and let us do so with greater compassion, understanding, love, respect and kindness. As the saying goes, it is never too late to start. Lastly, I share with those present, all our heart, love and traditional blessing: Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa, which means “health, peace and prosperity to us all”. God bless all our people. God bless our United Nations leaders and our United Nations family and God bless our shared home, our planet.


First of all, I would like to express my solidarity to the Mexican people, who are dealing with the aftermath of a devastating earthquake.
At the outset, I wish to congratulate you, Mr. Lajčák, on assuming the post of President of the General Assembly at its current session. I am sure you will make our region proud.
The United Nations is, and will be, the central forum for multilateralism and a rules-based global order. This is the place where all nations come together to carry out our shared responsibility to deliver peace and security, advance human rights and sustainable development and cooperate for a better future. As the truly global Organization, the United Nations must be able to effectively respond to the serious global issues that we face: regional conflicts and humanitarian crises, the threat of terrorism, insecurity related to migration, climate change and poverty. Individuals and their need for peace and a decent life are at the centre of all those challenges. We must be able to deliver on those needs as individual nations and as the United Nations.
It is no secret that the Organization has grown too complex and bureaucratic to be able to respond swiftly to today’s challenges. Some even question its credibility and relevance. Latvia also wishes to see the United Nations become more effective, more transparent and more flexible so that it can can make a positive, real influence for people on the ground. While the most recent global agreements have shown that effective multilateralism is possible, we must bring the values and goals of the United Nations closer to the people. The United Nations must preserve and, in some instances, regain, the trust of citizens and Member States in its ability to prevent and respond to crises and to promote a rules-based global order.
The new Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, was appointed on a platform of change. Latvia welcomes his appointment and fully supports his vision of a more effective United Nations. The Secretary- General’s actions and ideas related to qualitative change and reforms in the United Nations are very encouraging signs. Reform is never an easy task, but with patience, clear goals and the cooperation of the United Nations system and Member States, reform is possible. The Secretary-General has our full support for his endeavours.
All people on the planet need peace. For people to fully realize their potential, a stable and secure environment is essential. In too many places, conflicts seem to have no end. The very basic principles of international law are violated, borders are changed by force and human lives suffer. Far too often, the United Nations has been unable to prevent conflicts, stop atrocities or build peace. Too often, resources are spent managing and responding to crises instead of preventing them.
The Security Council bears a particular responsibility for ensuring peace. Its members, especially the veto-wielding members, should move beyond their domestic interests in the name of genuinely addressing global challenges. People see the failures of the Security Council as failures of the Organization. We cannot expect trust in the United Nations if the Security Council does not deliver. Latvia also reiterates its call for reform of the Security Council, which is long overdue.
From his first day on the job, the Secretary-General has made a strong appeal for peace and the prevention of conflicts. We fully support him in that endeavour. Conflict prevention must be at the core of actions of the United Nations in order to keep situations of concern from spiralling out of control. Saving human lives and upholding human dignity must be our common priority.
Tools for prevention have long been available, including in the Charter of the United Nations, but we need to move from mere commitments to preserve a rules-based global order to actions to restore that order where it has been broken. Latvia will continue to promote democracy, good governance, human rights and the rule of law as key factors for global stability.
Security is truly a global issue today. In particular, Latvia is deeply worried about the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the threat of the use of nuclear weapons. North Korea’s actions have increased global insecurity. Latvia strongly condemns all nuclear tests and launches of ballistic missiles conducted by North Korea, as well as its continuous provocative rhetoric. We call on North Korea to return to a credible and meaningful dialogue with the international community and to refrain from any further action that would increase regional tensions. It is a priority to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to that situation. In the meantime, all States must fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions.
The use of chemical weapons in Syria, which blatantly disregards Syria’s obligations as a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention, is a deplorable crime that must be fully investigated. The perpetrators must be held accountable. Latvia has constantly called for accountability regarding those attacks, an accountability that is closely linked to the credibility of the whole international system. For that reason, Latvia has supported the International, Impartial and Independent Mechanism for the Syrian Arab Republic to assist the investigation and prosecution of serious crimes committed in Syria. We will continue to support the Syrian people and the United Nations-led political process towards a political resolution of that bloody conflict, which has lasted far too long.
Global terrorism is one of the most serious threats to international peace and security. The unwavering efforts of the Global Coalition against Da’esh have degraded the capabilities of Da’esh across all fronts. Latvia welcomes the important victories achieved, including the liberation of Mosul in Iraq. However, our fight is far from over, and we have to think about new strategies and secure new domains as the threat of terrorism becomes more asymmetric and globally dispersed. Besides military efforts, we must continue to disrupt the flow of foreign terrorist fighters, dismantle financing networks and counter online and offline propaganda that sets youth on a path towards radicalization.
We are pleased to see that the Riga Protocol on foreign terrorist fighters — the Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism — entered into force in July. We encourage more States to accede to that instrument in order to address the threat at hand, which affects countries of origin and of destination.
International support will be required to help stabilize liberated areas in Syria and Iraq in order to allow refugees and internally displaced persons to return and start rebuilding their lives. Latvia provides training to Iraqi security forces and financial support for stabilization efforts.
Solving existing conflicts is essential for preventing new ones. We must stand firm in upholding the rules-based security order in Europe. The territorial integrity of independent States must be respected by all, including by the Russian Federation. Russia’s unprovoked aggression against its neighbours is a serious breach of international security rules. There must be accountability for violations of international law for any aggressor that initiates or sustains such conflicts.
A peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine and respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity are priorities for Latvia. Russia’s continued aggression in eastern Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol cannot become business as usual. We support diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis under the Normandy format and within the framework of the Trilateral Contact Group so as to achieve the full implementation of the Minsk agreements by all the parties involved. International monitors must be granted access to Crimea, and human rights violations against residents of Crimea, including Crimean Tatars, must stop.
The United Nations, along with the relevant regional actors, should remain involved in, and committed to, facilitating the resolution of the protracted conflicts in Nagorno Karabakh, Transnistria, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Last year I stressed that the strengthening of the development and security nexus must become our mission. Our priority must be to achieve peace and a decent life for everyone, including the most
vulnerable among us. We must tackle the root causes preventing us from attaining sustainable development. If conflicts, hardship and poverty continue, migration and the flow of refugees will further increase. The far- reaching impact of climate change on global security cannot simply be disregarded. We must carry on with our joint commitment to tackle climate change so that coming generations can live sustainably on this planet in a sustainable way. Latvia is fully committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
Now is the time to put in place the mechanisms of implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. That needs to be done at all levels — national, regional and global — in true partnership with all stakeholders. We welcome the current review of the United Nations development system to fulfil the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda. Next year Latvia will present a voluntary national review of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda to the United Nations High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. Our national focus is to put people first, as that will lead to long-lasting development gains. Latvia is ready to share its experience with implementing the 2030 Agenda through development cooperation.
To enjoy peace and development, our societies need space and institutions for free, open and enlightened public debate where truth can be sought, knowledge shared and lies exposed. Such belief is also at the heart of our approach to countering purposeful and malicious propaganda and disinformation emanating from both State and non-State actors. Our answer to that challenge is to reassert the fundamental principles of freedom of speech and press and the independence of the media. Both nationally and internationally, we are committed to supporting the development of independent, professional, transparent and objective media and journalism, and to increasing the resilience of our societies by investing in stronger critical thinking skills, as well as media and information literacy.
In conclusion, let me reiterate that Latvia remains a strong advocate of the multilateral system and believes in an effective and efficient United Nations, guided by the values on which it was founded. It is time for the United Nations to adapt to a changing global environment, focus on priorities and deliver results. The Secretary-General cannot do that alone. We all must work together to ensure that our Organization functions better and is fit for its purpose.


I would like to begin by congratulating the President on his leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. We are confident that his deep experience in international affairs will contribute to the Assembly’s success, and we stand ready to provide him with all the support and cooperation he may need. I would also like to thank his predecessor, Mr. Peter Thomson, for his stewardship of the previous session.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my country’s appreciation for the tireless efforts of the Secretary-General to reform the work of the United Nations in conflict prevention and the achievement of peace and security. We fully support his vision, which requires the international community to cooperate more closely on existing and emerging global challenges.
The foreign policy of the United Arab Emirates is guided by principles consistent with the Charter of the United Nations and the provisions of international law — a spirit of partnership, support for the rule of law, good neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States. They lead us to support a stronger role for the United Nations, along with reform of its entities and systems, so that it can fulfil its mandate to maintain international peace and security and help countries achieve development and prosperity.
The United Arab Emirates works hard and responsibly within its region and beyond to promote the stability and development of Arab countries and tackle the destruction wrought in our region by wars that have left total devastation in their wake. We see security and stability as key to the advancement of nations and peoples, a promising future for younger generations and a decent life for all. Our collective priority must be to promote peace and stability.
Despite serious regional and international efforts, our region continues to suffer from crises whose causes include extremism and terrorism, persistent interference by States in one another’s internal affairs, aggressive and expansionist policies driven by hegemonic ambitions, and regimes that seek influence by providing support to extremist and terrorist groups, with the goal of undermining Governments’ legitimacy. We must protect that legitimacy and prevent the spread of chaos and conflict throughout the region and the world. These crises have had enormous costs in terms of human life, the displacement of millions and the destruction of infrastructure. If the situation persists, it will generate only more violence and devastation and deplete economic and cultural resources, not just in our region but all over the world. There is no doubt that we as an international community have achieved great progress in confronting security and humanitarian threats, but more can be done to restore stability in the Arab world. The United Arab Emirates therefore believes that we should take the following initial steps in the region.
First, we should safeguard the progress that has already been made on development and counter any hindrances to our collective peacebuilding efforts, or we will be reduced solely to managing conflicts. That applies particularly to Libya, Syria, Yemen and Somalia, countries where comprehensive political solutions are possible and stability can be restored. But that can be achieved only if we end external interference in Arab affairs and suppress all forms of support to extremist and terrorist groups. In that regard, we support United Nations efforts to bring the parties to those conflicts to the negotiating table and to achieve comprehensive political solutions to the crises in our region.
Secondly, we must unite in firm and wholehearted rejection of extremism and terrorism in all their manifestations. That is the only way to confront and eradicate those scourges. We believe that the Arab- Islamic-American summit in Riyadh was historic by any standard. It attracted an unprecedented level of attendance at the highest levels, including the important participation of the President of the United States. Its outcome demonstrated that the Arab and Islamic world has taken a firm stand against the ideological roots of terrorism. We believe that, while eliminating this threat from our Arab region is a difficult task, the campaigns to liberate such ancient and storied Arab cities as Mosul in Iraq and Mukalla in Yemen from the grip of terrorist organizations have shown that we can achieve a great deal if we work together in combating extremism and terrorism.
Thirdly, we must take collective action to identify countries that support and finance terrorism and hold them accountable. That is why the United Arab Emirates, together with its close allies the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt, has taken measures aimed at stopping Qatar’s support for extremism and terrorism and forcing it to abandon policies that have destabilized the region. We are committed to protecting our national interests, the security of the Arabian Gulf and the stability of our region. The alliances between certain parties in our region with organizations or entities whose goal is to undermine peace and security in the Arab region and the world are unacceptable. That is a gamble in which we will all be losers. Let us stand united against those who finance, promote and justify extremism and terrorism. We have a clear choice, and there is no alternative to combating terrorism in all its manifestations and facing down all its perpetrators, without exception. We must have zero tolerance for those who spread violence, fear and destruction among innocent people or provide support and safe havens to terrorist groups. Together with its friends in the region, my country has therefore taken sovereign measures, in line with international law, with a view to protecting Arab security and standing against Qatar’s support to terrorism.
Fourthly, we must promote compassion, tolerance and inclusion, because today more than ever the Arab region needs those values in order to counter the misleading messages and ideologies spread by extremists and terrorist groups, especially through social media. My country is working with regional and international partners to establish mechanisms that can remind our young people of our shared human values and counter the rhetoric of terrorism. Specifically, the United Arab Emirates has established and hosts specialized institutions such as the Sawab Centre, the Hedayah International Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism and the Muslim Council of Elders, whose purpose is to demonstrate the peaceful nature of our Islamic religion and constitute a forum for promoting peace in Muslim societies. We have learned from experience that we must expose extremism and terrorism and the rhetoric surrounding them in order to defeat them intellectually and provide an alternative narrative based on the principle of peaceful coexistence and tolerance. At the same time, such institutions promote a culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance. It is regrettable, however, that some countries are funding media platforms that encourage violence, incite hatred and sectarianism and provide a forum for the murderous ideologies of terrorism. History has repeatedly shown that catastrophic consequences await those who follow such paths.
Our international efforts to achieve peace in our region will not be successful if we fail to end the Israeli occupation of Palestinian and Arab territory, which has continued for seven decades. The situation makes young people vulnerable to exploitation by terrorist groups that claim that they are fighting only for liberation and to realize their aspirations.
Iran’s hostile and expansionist policies continue to be the common factor in all the crises that our region has experienced, and a real obstacle to any concrete progress in resolving them. Iran interferes in the internal affairs of other States and arms and supports terrorist groups such as the Houthis and Hizbullah, as well as groups and cells in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait. Iran has not only blatantly violated the principle of sovereignty but has continued to exploit the crises in the Arab world in order to undermine regional security and incite and fuel conflict. It must realize that only peaceful coexistence, based on mutual respect for sovereignty, is a viable basis for harmonious relations in the region.
From this rostrum, we reaffirm our firm position on the issue of and our legitimate right to sovereignty over the three islands of Greater Tunbs, Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, which Iran has occupied in violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. We will not abandon our demand that Iran return the occupied islands to their rightful owners, through voluntary or other peaceful means and in accordance with the resolutions that have been adopted in that regard, together with the rulings of the International Court of Justice.
Two years have passed since the signing of the nuclear agreement with Iran, with no sign of change in its hostile behaviour. It continues to develop its nuclear programme and violates the letter and spirit of the agreement. We therefore support enhanced controls on Iran’s nuclear programme and continued assessment of the agreement and its provisions. We view North Korea’s similarly provocative behaviour, through its continued development of its nuclear programme and ballistic missiles, as having only one purpose — acquiring further destructive power with which to threaten peace and stability in its region and the rest of the world. Iran and North Korea’s aggressive policies are not consistent with their membership in an international organization whose primary concern is the maintenance of international peace and security.
If we are to restore security in our region and protect our peoples from conflicts and extremism, we must make development, in both its human and strategic dimensions, our top priority. We must create opportunities and hope for younger generations so that they can look forward to a better tomorrow with optimism and confidence. My country is committed to achieving economic and human progress and has contributed to rehabilitation and reconstruction projects in conflict-affected countries in order to enable them to restore security and stability.
We continue our humanitarian approach to alleviating the suffering of refugees. We support refugees internationally and regionally, with a view to protecting them and improving their living conditions by providing humanitarian and development assistance. However, we would like to stress that managing crises by providing such assistance alone is not a sustainable solution if we fail to address their root causes. In that regard, we would like to reiterate the importance of ensuring that the United Nations can arrive at solutions to humanitarian and political crises and address their grave implications, with a particular focus on recent acts of violence and ethnic cleansing such as have been committed in Myanmar against the Rohingya. The United Arab Emirates condemns the violence, displacement and collective punishment that have been visited on the Rohingya and will continue to provide them with assistance in order to reduce their suffering.
In that context, I should also mention the Houthi rebels’ obstinate rejection of a political settlement to the crisis and the humanitarian initiatives in Yemen, which is preventing progress from being made on resolving the issue. We will nonetheless continue to work diligently and with determination on the political and humanitarian processes in Yemen, alongside our friends and brothers and under Saudi Arabia’s wise leadership, with the goal of addressing the humanitarian and development needs of the Yemeni people, especially women and children, and with a view to restoring stability there.
The United Arab Emirates believes that by looking to the future, promoting human values, working to achieve human development and responding to the aspirations of young people, we can create the foundations for further development and prosperity. My country has moved beyond the stage of establishing its infrastructure and fulfilling basic needs, including by providing health, nutrition and education services, and has adopted a model based on the principles of good governance and values of tolerance and on its vision for building a contented society. We have also created a safe environment that can enable women and young people to fulfil their dreams and ambitions while engaging in their country’s development. As a result, we have been able to pioneer innovations and other groundbreaking achievements and have become a beacon of hope for younger generations throughout the region. We are cognizant that our greatest challenge is to make our development sustainable and prepare ourselves for the post-oil era. That will be vital to our survival.
The United Arab Emirates considers its values and principles to be a human and historic legacy celebrated and passed on by one generation to another. We have therefore declared 2018 the year of Zayed, in memory and recognition of the achievements of the founding father of the United Arab Emirates and with the aim of enshrining his values as we continue his journey to build and advance our nation.
We stand at a historic juncture. On the one hand, we have those who pursue peace, development, modernity and the future, while on the other we have those who have chosen darkness, destruction, sabotage and chaos. In that essential and just confrontation, we must stand united. Our goal must be the eradication of extremism and terrorism and the elimination of the forces that are tearing our region apart. We will then have a clear path towards a brighter future that is full of hope.


On behalf of the Government and the people of Belize, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the populations of our sister countries in the Caribbean for the destruction and loss of life and property caused by Hurricanes Irma and Maria. Belize stands united with other friendly countries of the world to assist and to render our full support to our sister countries and friends in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). I also extend Belize’s warmest feelings of solidarity and sympathy to the people of Mexico, our immediate neighbours to the north, as they commence a difficult recovery process following the death and destruction caused by the two recent earthquakes.
As you observed in your opening statement (see A/72/PV.3), Mr. President, you have assumed the presidency of the General Assembly at a most challenging time for multilateralism. Be assured nonetheless that my Government and people have every confidence in your leadership, and I pledge to you our full and active support as you embark on the task of addressing the agenda of the seventy-second session of the Assembly, focusing on people and striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet.
With regard to the Belizean experience, Belize celebrated its thirty-sixth year of independence on 21 September. In the 36 years since independence, we have matured into a unified nation, embracing all peoples in the fabric of our society and enjoying a peaceful existence. We have worked assiduously to uplift every Belizean, especially those who have been victims of anachronistic prejudices, and we have done so with an eye to ensuring that successive generations can benefit from the fruits of our labours and our natural resources. Our development has been modest in relative terms, but progressive and steady.
We have readily embraced the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and launched our Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy for Belize 2016-2019, which incorporates the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement further complement the SDGs. We are already seeing the dividends of that early investment in policy and action. Belize has met several goals on road safety, marine protection and sustainable fisheries.
These early accomplishments are mere benchmarks. We know that for our sustainable development, we must go above and beyond such accomplishments, so my Government is setting even more ambitious targets. At the Ocean Conference, we announced our commitment to further strengthening the legislative and regulatory framework on fisheries, increasing our marine reserves from 3 per cent to 10 per cent of our territorial waters and implementing legislation to curb the use of plastics. Among our ambitious climate-action contributions, Belize is committed to zero-emissions growth in its forestry sector and aims to achieve 85 per cent renewables in electricity production by 2027.
In addition to our actions at the national level, we are also undertaking regional action by leveraging the strength of the Caribbean Community to optimize results for all our peoples by uniting our efforts aimed at fighting disease and security threats. Belize proudly hosted the launch of the CARICOM First Ladies and Spouses of Prime Ministers Network in support of the Implementation of SDG 5 and the Every Caribbean Woman, Every Caribbean Child initiative. Our leaders are also renewing and deepening efforts to tackle non-communicable diseases through targeted approaches aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, starting with the youngest members of our communities.
For our region, security and climate change are equally fundamental threats to our survival. The region has risen to meet these challenges by adopting its own counter-terrorism strategy and pioneering innovative approaches to building resilience and facilitating its transition to low- and no-carbon economies across the region.
I will now address the challenges and opportunities of financing people-centred development. The cost of implementation is by no means negligible. At the national level, conservative estimates put the cost of implementation of our Growth and Sustainable Development Strategy at a quarter of Belize’s gross domestic product. Belize’s development finance strategy mirrors the Addis Ababa Agenda for Action. We are tapping into a mix of domestic and international resources through various channels, keeping in mind the inhospitable international policy environment. Domestically, my Government is strengthening its capacity to improve revenue collection.
lncentivizing business investment in Belize is also a critical action point for my Government. Like other vulnerable small island developing States (SIDS), Belize saw a sharp decline in foreign direct investment over the period from 2015 to 2016. As of 2016, foreign direct investment flows to SIDS represented only 0.2 per cent of overall global flows. To buck this downward trend, we have reformed the incentives for doing business in Belize to comport with the policy space permitted by our World Trade Organization obligations.
We have also reformed key institutions to ensure the integrity of our financial services industry. The
Government has strengthened the institutional capacity, legislative framework and supervisory mandate of its financial intelligence unit. The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force has determined that Belize is in compliance with international standards. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, which at present sets international standards on tax cooperation, has listed Belize as a largely compliant tax jurisdiction, following Belize successful completion of the Global Forum peer review of its legislative, regulatory and administrative framework.
In 2013, Belize adopted the multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the purpose of which is to facilitate cooperation among jurisdictions with a view to combating tax avoidance and evasion internationally. Additionally, Belize is committed to the Automatic Exchange of Information standard and has entered into 31 bilateral Exchange of Information agreements.
Nevertheless, Belize’s reputation, financial industry and economy remain vulnerable as a result of unilateral declarations that have labelled our jurisdiction as uncooperative or non-compliant. Such unilateral declarations cause undue damage to Belize’s reputation and the integrity of its financial services industry. They also dissuade investors and undermine the significant legislative and administrative measures undertaken by our Government to ensure Belize’s compliance with international standards and legal obligations. But even worse, they undermine the very legitimacy of the institutions that promulgate the global standards by which we are all supposed to be measured.
In Belize’s view, the United Nations must enforce the necessary checks and balances that are part of the international financial architecture. We see a role for the United Nations in acting as a central multilateral forum where efforts are consolidated and coherence and international cooperation promoted on issues that support domestic resource mobilization. Because of its universal nature, the United Nations is in the best position to foster a more inclusive, transparent and consultative process for addressing such issues as international cooperation on tax matters and the broader question of financing for sustainable development.
Notwithstanding our best efforts, we cannot meet the costs of implementation with our domestic resources alone. We rely on our bilateral partners from the North and the South. We have also developed strong working relationships with multilateral development banks. But with our current status as a middle-income country, our access to grant and concessional financing is severely constrained. Belize is in the unenviable position of being a heavily indebted middle-income country. Our external public debt stands at 70 per cent of our gross domestic product, or $2.3 billion, and the domestic debt at 22 per cent of gross domestic product, or $750 million. The cost of interest for these debt obligations is $109 million for the current fiscal year alone. Without viable alternatives, my Government has to finance its development by contracting loans at market rates.
My Government has endeavoured to appeal to our private creditors to renegotiate the onerous bonds that threaten to upend the sustainability of our debt. However, the world of international private finance does not place a high priority on public policy, much less the public policy of a foreign Government. With the ongoing crises resulting from the withdrawal of correspondent banking services from relationships with our indigenous financial institutions, the entire Caribbean is experiencing this reality. To the likes of Bank of America or JPMorgan Chase it matters not that ending correspondent banking relations with a national bank or a central bank effectively excludes that nation from the global financial system, and, in response, the country where those banks are located offers nothing more than sympathy. That is a major concern, not just for the Caribbean but for all developing countries, given the universal pivot towards the private sector financing the development agenda.
It would behoove the United Nations to develop a participatory framework for the private sector in order to keep account of their commitments made and actions taken to advance global goals. The High-level Political Forum offers a useful platform for integrating such a framework. The United Nations should also develop appropriate capacities to track the alignment of private financial flows with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It is also incumbent on the United Nations to accelerate progress in redefining development metrics to respond to the anomaly of heavily indebted middle-income countries, particularly those with unique challenges, such as small island developing States.
Belize welcomes the Secretary-General’s commitment to SIDS. I would like to take this opportunity to commend him and you, Mr. President, for holding a special session on Hurricane Irma. I wish to extend my own Government’s pledge of solidarity to the members of our Caribbean family that were devastated by that unprecedented storm and, more recently, by Hurricane Maria. Hurricanes Irma and Maria have exposed the acute humanitarian challenge and the equally acute development challenge that SIDS face. That challenge is, without question, a global one, as the Secretary- General has rightly stated. We look forward to engaging in action-oriented discussions in order to facilitate piloting such financing-for-sustainable-development initiatives across SIDS as debt swaps for climate action and the expansion of climate risk insurance, and to support adaptation measures at individual to national levels.
The United Nations can serve as a global incubator for genuine and durable multi-stakeholder partnerships that can foster innovation and entrepreneurship in SIDS. At the national level, we are ready to engage in discussions on how to ensure that the United Nations is fit for our country’s purposes on the ground as we aim to implement the ambitious 2030 Agenda and develop country-specific solutions for sustainable financing.
Belize fully agrees with the Secretary-General that the United Nations has a crucial role to play as a catalyst, an innovator, a convenor and a champion of what works. Since its inception, the United Nations has been orchestrating a rules-based framework for helping countries to cooperate and take collective action. As we embrace a new era of openness, transparency and accountability, United Nations operations must also reflect the openness, transparency and accountability of all who engage and benefit from international cooperation.
We depend on the United Nations to champion and protect the rule of law, ensure the universality of core agreements and develop new treaties in order to address gaps where they exist. That is why Belize looks to the United Nations as a firewall between democracy and tyranny, between social justice and oppression, and between the global good and self-interest. Its ultimate role is to protect the interests of humankind as a whole. In this spirit, we expect the United Nations to act, and we therefore insist that the overdue reforms of the peace and security architecture of the United Nations, especially the Security Council, be completed forthwith so that there can be no obstacle to action.
Belize has long supported the United Nations in fulfilling its role. We have supported its endeavours to forge new partnerships for development, advance global health policies, bring justice to victims of crimes against humanity, protect the most vulnerable and control the spread of weapons of mass destruction, including small arms and light weapons. We have been at the forefront of the global fight to protect and preserve our shared natural environment against environmental degradation and climate change and to ensure the sustainable use of the planet, especially of our oceans, which sustain life on earth. Through the Caribbean Community, we are also leading the charge to deliver reparations to the victims of slavery and their descendants.
For Belize, as a State Member of the United Nations, advocating for peaceful cooperation among States, the right to self-determination for all peoples and the promotion and protection of human rights is a non-derogable duty. We therefore cannot remain silent wherever injustice persists. We see injustice perpetrated against the people of Taiwan, who uphold the core purposes and principles of the United Nations, while, in contrast, the United Nations fails to uphold those purposes and principles with respect to them.
For more than half a century, the people of Cuba have been the victims of the injustice of an egregious and illegal unilateral embargo. We also see injustice continuing to cast a shadow over the peoples of Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Western Sahara and South Sudan, among others.
The situation in Venezuela is one that continues to challenge all of us in our region and hemisphere. Belize fully subscribes to the position of CARICOM, which underscores respect for international law and international principles and urges resolution through dialogue. To that end, CARICOM has offered its own good offices.
In our region, we continue to witness the suffering of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Belize cannot remain silent in the face of such intolerable injustice, nor should the rest of the world. We support United Nations efforts aimed at bringing justice to all who have been alienated, oppressed, victimized or silenced. When we fail to uphold our duty to the norms and values of the United Nations, humankind itself suffers. But when we defend those norms and values, there is no greater redemption. The Haitian people know this fact all too well, and, with good reason, they look hopefully towards the new United Nations approach to cholera in Haiti and the establishment of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti.
Similarly, when Belize’s territorial integrity was at issue, Belize turned to the United Nations to defend the country’s sovereignty over its land, and, for as long as we have been a dutiful Member State, we have had peace. We want that peace to endure, so we have taken every possible step to bring Guatemala to the table of justice in order to resolve that country’s unfounded claim on our territory.
In 2008, Belize and Guatemala agreed to refer the Guatemalan claim to Belizean territory to the International Court of Justice, the Organization’s judicial arm, subject to the will of each of our peoples. Both Belize and Guatemala are poised to hold the requisite referendums to obtain our peoples’ consent. In the meantime, with the full support of the Organization of American States, we continue to take a constructive approach to our bilateral relations and to maintaining peace along the borders. Belize remains committed to working with Guatemala to finalize a cooperation mechanism for the Sarstoon River in order to minimize the potential for tensions or incidents along Belize’s southern border.
In conclusion, for the past 36 years, we Belizeans have lived in harmony with one another and with nature. Together with our leaders and with the support of other friendly nations, we have built a strong nation by the sweat of our brows. We have honoured our Constitution, which enshrines the principle of social, economic and environmental justice for all. We will persevere in our efforts to achieve our just objectives and look to the United Nations for its continued support. In turn, the United Nations and every Member State can rest assured that Belize will defend our community of nations and its purposes and principles. Our national motto is “Sub umbra floreo” — “In the shade I flourish”. In the shade of the United Nations, we shall all flourish.


Allow me to begin by congratulating the President on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. His illustrious career as a diplomat gives us confidence that we will see a successful session, and I assure him of my delegation’s full support and cooperation during his tenure. Let me also commend his predecessor, Mr. Peter Thomson, for his excellent leadership of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly. He handled that great responsibility very well and with much skill and devotion.
During the previous session, we also witnessed the appointment of the new Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, whose impeccable credentials and distinguished service within the United Nations, coupled with his wealth of knowledge and experience, leave us hopeful that he will handle the challenges of his new position with dexterity. We therefore congratulate him on his well-deserved appointment and wish him success in the long journey ahead. We also pay tribute to his predecessor, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for a job well done. He performed the duties of his high office with consummate diplomatic skill and honour.
We meet once again for the seventy-second time in the history of the United Nations in order to appraise the world’s political, security and economic situations. We do so at a critical juncture in human history. Now is the time for a true reflection on the role of the Organization in the twenty-first century, since it is on the United Nations that humankind places much faith and hope for a better life for all.
The pall of despair that descended on the world following the Second World War was eased by our forebears’ adoption of lofty ideals when they came together in San Francisco and resolved
“to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war;
“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 promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom”.
Sadly, today we speak of a world that is slowly regressing to resembling the one that existed seven decades ago. The multifaceted and complex challenges that have besieged us are threatening to erode the laudable strides that the United Nations has made since its establishment. Inter- and intra-State conflict characterizes the modern-day world. From the global refugee crisis to the spread of terrorism, the ability of the United Nations to effectively resolve conflict is being put to the test. The heightened tensions on the Korean peninsula, coupled with the flagrant violation there of Security Council resolutions and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, speak to the arms race brewing in that part of the world.
As if that were not enough, respect for human rights and the rule of law — the principles that speak to the very fibre of the United Nations — continues to be flouted with impunity. Women and children in particular face the worst forms of brutal abuse, especially in conflict-ridden countries. Poverty also continues to be a dreadful affliction for developing countries, undermining their efforts to re-orient their economies towards significant gains in real growth. The result is that most poverty-stricken populations are sometimes left with no option but to employ unorthodox methods for economic survival to sustain their livelihoods.
It is in that context that we welcome the theme for this session: “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”. It resonates squarely with the principles that underpinned the establishment of the United Nations. That is what the Organization stands for. The complexities and dichotomies that characterize humankind’s existence on the planet and the inequalities that prevail between developed and underdeveloped countries would be a thing of the past if we could remain true to our mission and focus on people on our development path.
While the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) embrace the concept of universal prosperity for all societies, we are all aware that, in essence, that ideal is still far from being realized. We must move forward cooperatively in our efforts to achieve peace and a decent life for all. It is incumbent on the entire international community to act in unison as we strive to restore peace and deploy a universal response to our goals. To that end, our immediate challenge is to come up with a new strategy that encapsulates the SDGs and multidimensionally integrates them into the concept, as the theme outlines.
We are cognizant of the fact that in Lesotho our destiny is in our hands and that the chief responsibility for sustainable and equal development resides with us. As a newly inaugurated Administration, we have set for ourselves the very lofty goal of restructuring all our important Government institutions. In that regard, we intend to embark on an ambitious yet achievable reform programme. We are committed to fully implementing the decisions of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and putting Lesotho on a path of inclusive reform that will consist of constitutional, parliamentary, electoral, public-sector and security- sector reforms. It is an exercise that will involve all stakeholders, who must engage with genuine and total commitment to establishing a stable political order that is conducive to economic development.
As the new Government of Lesotho, our resolve and commitment to implementing SADC decisions signifies our commitment to working together with our regional body in pursuit of lasting peace and security in our country and the whole SADC region. We have made good progress in the implementation of SADC decisions following the recommendations of Justice Mpaphi Phumaphi, which were laid out during his enquiry in Lesotho after the brutal assassination of Lieutenant General Mahao, Lesotho’s Army Commander, in June 2015. Today I have to once again report to the Assembly with sadness and great humiliation the assassination of the current Army Commander, Lieutenant General Khoantle Motsomotso, less than three weeks ago, on 5 September, by two senior army officers, who were in turn shot and killed by the General’s bodyguards. Despite such daunting challenges to our small mountain Kingdom’s political and security instability, SADC is standing firmly behind us as a regional bloc to help restore peace, political stability, security and the rule of law in Lesotho.
On that note, I wantto thank SADC, our development partners, the Friends of Lesotho, the African Union and the United Nations for their unwavering support in ensuring that Lesotho’s democracy is protected in its pursuit of economic growth and stability.
On the development front, I am happy to report that the Government of Lesotho is committed to maintaining fiscal discipline in order to stabilize the national economy and stimulate growth and business activity while preserving the environment. At the same time, we are relentlessly committed to combating crime and corruption at all levels of our society, in accordance with SDG 16, which recognizes that corruption undermines efforts to combat poverty and gender equality. It further acts as a tax on the poor when it comes to accessing their right to public services. We are aware that on our own, without the support of our cooperating partners, our efforts to root out corruption cannot yield the desired results; hence our urgent call to them to join forces with us in our crusade.
As a least developed country, we believe that the concept of development is meaningful only when it gives communities tangible benefits in a sustainable manner. It is indisputable fact that young people are the thread that holds together the fabric of every nation and that at the same time they can be major agents of change. It would be a serious and unwise miscalculation not to recognize them as our partners of today and leaders of tomorrow. In that regard, we emphasize the importance of young people’s participation in decision-making at all levels. Job creation for young people also remains a priority. With reference to SDG 8, our global strategy for youth employment is set to be operationalized by 2020. Countries therefore have to develop strategies for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization. In that regard, the Government of Lesotho remains committed in its resolve to harness the energy of young Basotho men and women in order to further the advancement of the economy of our country.
Lesotho continues to deal with the scourge of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which is more prevalent among young women, who are the backbone of our economy. The empowerment of women is a focus of our development policy. We believe that elevating them to positions of leadership in both the private and public sectors will lead to a more equitable and prosperous society in Lesotho. We recognize that poverty and the AIDS pandemic go hand in hand, and our poverty eradication policies therefore target the most vulnerable groups, including the elderly, AIDS orphans, women and young people. We remain committed to ensuring that those objectives are tackled, for they are key components of the SDGs.
On the economic front, like other landlocked developing countries, Lesotho continues to face challenges inherently linked to its unique geographic position. The burden of high transport costs and cumbersome and slow export processing procedures continues to impose serious impediments to our external trade. I must therefore mention the need for increased international assistance in infrastructure development and institutional capacity-building, as well as industrialization and enhancement of productive capacity, for all developing countries, not only the least developed.
Lesotho continues to support the maintenance of international peace and security. We are deeply disturbed by the ongoing violence in Syria and other parts of the Middle East. The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has added another dimension to the scourge of international terrorism. It has become a force of destruction and generates mayhem on a global scale. We are encouraged by recent efforts aimed at shrinking the boundaries of the territories controlled by ISIL in Iraq and Syria. As a result of the ongoing violence in the Middle East and elsewhere, the world’s refugee population has grown; there are more than 65 million displaced persons, including those fleeing hunger. That situation is intolerable, as it has created an environment in which young people have become vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist movements and human trafficking.
In recent years, Lesotho has faced prolonged droughts due to the El Niño effect, which crippled the entire Southern African subcontinent and led to food shortages and other hardships. The recent hurricanes that have devastated the Caribbean and parts of the United States, along with the torrential rains that have been witnessed in many countries, including floods of biblical proportions, are a stark reminder that climate change is with us and that urgent action is required in accordance with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which was concluded more than a year ago.
We reiterate our appeal that small countries such as Lesotho, including small island States, should be empowered with technologies for dealing with and adapting to climate-change challenges. Sustainable development will elude us without genuine commitment on the part of all, including our development partners. The principles of common but differentiated responsibility and economic might and capability between developed and developing nations will be critical to our success in building a sustainable world. We therefore call on the international community to continue mobilizing and providing additional financial resources to Africa for climate-friendly technologies to address both the urgent adaptation and mitigation needs of Africa and other developing countries. Similarly, we urge countries that have reneged on their support to the Paris Agreement to reconsider their position and return to the fold.
The eradication of colonialism is one of the most notable achievements accomplished by the international community through the United Nations. However, that business remains unfinished. The questions of Western Sahara and Palestine have defied solutions for a long time.
We reiterate our support for Western Sahara in its struggle for self-determination. Every day that passes without a change in the lives of the people of Western Sahara is a reminder to the world that we must renew our determination to fight the injustices perpetrated against the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. History will judge us harshly if we watch in silence as unjust treatment is meted out to the people of that African country. Our silence and inaction will leave an indelible mark of failure on our collective character. In the modern world the use of colonial tactics is totally unacceptable. In that connection, we call on the United Nations to remain resolute in its determination to rid the world of the scourge of colonialism. The agreement by the POLISARIO Front and Morocco to resume negotiations in order to reach a long-term solution has not gone unnoticed. We commend them for that bold step and assure them of our support in that noble endeavour.
The question of Palestine has been on the United Nations agenda for decades. We continue to believe that a two-State solution, based on the 1967 borders, whereby Israel and Palestine coexist side-by-side in equal sovereignty, is the most viable proposal for a permanent settlement to that vexing problem. The Palestinians too deserve to enjoy the right to peace, development and the sanctity of life.
Concerning the nuclear-disarmament landscape, the United Nations made significant progress a few months ago with the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as the first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons with the goal of eventually achieving their total elimination. That is a historic achievement, especially in the light of the ongoing tensions in the Korean peninsula. The argument that nuclear weapons are a deterrent is a fallacy. Such weapons are a threat to human existence, and their possessors should do the right thing and renounce them in line with their international obligations. The Treaty should not remain a mere paper agreement; it must be ratified and implemented by all.
As I conclude, I would like to point out that we should continue to resist all attempts to undermine the global consensus that the United Nations has built around many issues of importance to our peoples. We
remain convinced that it is the only universal institution that can safeguard world peace and ensure the survival of all and sundry. For it to do so, however, the reform agenda of the United Nations must proceed without further delay, including reform of the Security Council. A Council that is transparent and representative of all regions, including Africa, will go a long way to fulfilling the ideals for which the United Nations was founded. Unilateral actions that defy civility and international law belong to the past. Let us march forward with unity of purpose, while focusing on our peoples and striving for peace so that we can all have a decent life.


I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to preside over deliberations of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. My delegation pledges full support to you and your Bureau.
Allow me to convey warm fraternal greetings from His Excellency Mr. John Pombe Joseph Magufuli, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, who wished to be here but, due to other pressing commitments at home, is unable to attend this session of the Assembly. President Magufuli has sent me to assure the Assembly that his Government will continue to support the United Nations and its noble mandate to promote global peace, security, freedom and development. We also wish to extend Tanzania’s unwavering support and cooperation to the Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, as he continues to discharge his duties.
My delegation pays tribute to your predecessor, Mr. President — His Excellency Ambassador Peter Thomson — for his exemplary leadership during the Assembly’s seventy-first session. His tireless efforts in promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as his dedication to resolving the plight of refugees and migrants and reviving consultations on the reforms of the United Nations, particularly of the Security Council, will remain part of his legacy. We are confident that you and your team will advance from where he left off, as you pledged in your opening statement.
Today, the world is facing myriad challenges, which include new and old threats such as international terrorism and other international crimes, persistent poverty, hunger and climate change, as well as global inequalities in economic and social status among nations. Those challenges call for a common and urgent response by the entire United Nations system and the international community as a whole.
It is in that regard that my delegation welcomes the theme for this session “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”. The theme is timely and welcomed, as most of our countries are adjusting their development strategies and plans to ensure the speedy and timely implementation of the Goals and targets enshrined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet should focus on ending poverty, promoting economic and social prosperity, addressing inequality and injustices, and tackling the adverse impacts of climate change. That can be achieved by successfully implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Cognizant of that fact, Tanzania has integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into the second phase of our five-year development plan for 2016 to 2021, which focuses on industrialization, on the basis of complementarity between the agricultural and industrial sectors. That plan is one of our tools for the realization of our National Development Vision 2025, which seeks to bring our country to middle-income status. In collaboration with our development partners and other stakeholders, we have developed frameworks for implementing the SDGs, which include communication and dissemination strategies on the SDGs to make the Goals understandable to everyone. Dissemination is in both English and Kiswahili, which is our national language, spoken by all Tanzanians. Sensitization workshops on SDGs are also being conducted for regional administrations and local Government authorities, so that the Goals can be mainstreamed in their local plans and budgets in order to directly involve and benefit ordinary people, who are the main focus of the 2030 Agenda.
Tanzania has set a target growth from an average of 7 per cent in 2015 to 10 per cent by 2020, in order to reach middle-income status by 2025. We also believe that such growth will encourage efforts to promote equality in society by reducing the unemployment rate from the current 10.3 per cent to 8 per cent and will also reduce the proportion of population below the poverty line. That growth can be achieved by, among other things, increasing employment in both rural and urban areas and providing financial support through soft loans to youth and women. Other measures include strengthening small and medium enterprises, securing fair taxation and fiscal regimes for business entities and restoring discipline and accountability. Fighting corruption, financial discipline and accountability in all sectors are the hallmarks of President Magufuli’s Government.
Climate change has become an existential challenge to the entire planet Earth. All parts of the world are increasingly experiencing the adverse impact of climate change, manifested in persistent droughts, land degradation, coastal erosion, ocean temperature rise and extreme weather patterns such as cyclones, typhoons, hurricanes and floods. In Tanzania, for instance, it is disheartening to witness the epic snows and glaciers of Kilimanjaro — the highest mountain in Africa — melting at an alarming rate.
Against that background, I would like to express my Government’s heartfelt sympathies and condolences to our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean, South Asia, Mexico, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the United States of America and all around the world who have recently been victims of the disastrous impact of climate change. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have lost their lives and those who have been dispossessed and displaced. For all of us, this should be a wake-up call and a reminder that climate change has no boundaries and can potentially wipe out economic and development achievements in the blink of an eye. Therefore, the sooner we act, the better chances we have to protect the planet Earth for the present and future generations.
It is fortunate that we have the Paris Agreement, which already entered into force in November 2016, to address this problem. To honour our joint efforts that gave birth to the Paris Agreement under the leadership of France, we should implement, in letter and spirit, all of its articles. Assistance to developing countries should go beyond mere mitigation measures and should target adaptation measures with built-in green technologies to control carbon emissions from the outset.
Violent conflicts continue to plague the world and to challenge the United Nations, particularly the Security Council, which has the primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. They claim thousands of lives and lead to massive displacements and flights of people in search of safer places. We need to invest more in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and mediation efforts by addressing the root causes, the precipitating and triggering factors of conflicts. Peacekeeping, peacebuilding and State-building are essential to the maintenance and consolidation of peace where peace has been secured. We commend the role of the United Nations in spearheading those peace initiatives.
Striving for peace should be a collective endeavour involving Governments, international organizations, regional blocs, non-State actors, religious groups, civil societies and individuals. Sustainable peace and security is prerequisite for the achievement of sustainable development. In that regard, we commend our men and women in Blue Helmets who are sacrificing their lives to serve the heroic cause of peacekeeping. Tanzania, with other countries, has been contributing troops to several United Nations peacekeeping missions. We have paid a high price through the loss of peacekeepers serving in different missions. It is only this week that Tanzania lost a soldier in the Democratic Republic of the Congo following an attack by the rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces. We condemn that cowardly act in the strongest possible terms.
Nonetheless, Tanzania remains steadfast and committed to contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions. At the same time, we urge the Security Council to continue strengthening the operational capability of the Force Intervention Brigade in the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo so that it can effectively deal with negative forces and asymmetrical warfare, which are manifesting in different war theatres in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Tanzania has maintained its record as a peaceful country upholding the rule of law, democracy and other principles of good governance. It has been a country of refuge for many decades. At the same time, Tanzania has been actively participating in regional and international peace initiatives, including the ongoing Burundi peace process, which has been supervised by the East African Community, facilitated by the former President of Tanzania, Mr. Benjamin William Mkapa, and mediated by His Excellency President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. The peace talks are still on track, although their pace is slow and halting. It is encouraging to note that in some parts of Burundi, the security situation has significantly improved to permit the voluntary return of some 12,000 refugees of the almost 250,000 refugees who have been in Tanzania since 2015. We appreciate the partnership we have had with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in protecting and assisting the refugees in our country.
Tanzania has also for decades been receiving and hosting refugees from pockets of troubled areas in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We trust that there will be full implementation of the 31 December 2016 peace agreement, with the promise of timely elections in that country. We urge the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to live up to that commitment and to issue an election calendar soon. In that connection, we urge the international community to extend both logistical and financial support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo so that it can complete the registration of voters and expeditiously carry out the planned elections.
On the agenda of the General Assembly and the Security Council, there are two protracted problems that require decisive action. One is the issue of the self- determination of the Sahrawi people. With the return of Morocco into the African Union fold, expectations are high in Africa that negotiations on that issue, which is on the agenda of the Security Council, will receive renewed momentum and urgency.
On Palestine, we support the two-State solution — two States living side by side in peaceful coexistence. To that end, the elements of a viable State of Palestine must be ensured and respected. The long-stalled peace process in the Middle East must be rekindled with a series of acceptable confidence-building measures by both sides with the support and guarantee of the United Nations and the international community in its entirety.
In the Assembly, we have been calling for the cessation of economic, commercial, fmancial and other embargoes imposed on Cuba, without significant results. The intention of the United States to reverse the agreements between the two countries on normalizing relations is a setback to the progress that had been registered and applauded by all of us in the Assembly and beyond. Tanzania continues to call for the total removal of all embargoes on Cuba. The people-to- people contact that has started between the peoples of both Cuba and the United States should serve as building blocks for enduring peaceful good-neighbourliness in the spirit of dialogue and understanding.
After the end of the Cold War, there was a new dawn and bright prospects for both conventional and nuclear disarmament. The doctrine of nuclear deterrence was becoming obsolete, negotiations for the reduction of nuclear arsenals were making progress towards a nuclear ban treaty, including nuclear testing, and some aspirants to nuclear weapons abandoned their ambitions.
However, the recent developments in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea have shattered these optimistic prospects. The world is being dragged back to nuclear brinkmanship. This is the most recent threat to international peace and security. Tanzania supports all relevant resolutions of the Security Council on the nuclear-weapons trends in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and calls for de-escalation of the political warfare and propaganda, and for the renewal of dialogue under the auspices of the Six-Party Talks.
On the other hand, Tanzania commends the recent adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which puts nuclear weapons on the same legal ground as other weapons of mass destruction. We should all support the Treaty in order to increase our moral authority in the fight against nuclear- weapons proliferation.
The reforms of the United Nations to make the Organization more efficient and relevant in order to cope with new trends and challenges must be continuous and progressive. The latest initiative of the Secretary- General is a commendable effort that should have received consensual support from the entire United Nations membership. We hope that, in the process of implementing these latest reform proposals, the debates will be all-inclusive and progress will be made on the basis of consensus among the entire membership of the United Nations.
The delay in Security Council reform is indeed testing the political will of the key players on this serious matter, and the debate has now become routine and sterile. The status quo is undercutting the primary responsibility of the Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. Democratizing the Security Council is good for the Council and for the world in the twenty-first century.
In conclusion, I wish to return to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development by making a clarion call to the United Nations and its Member States to implement the goals contained therein, in measured and agreed benchmarks and intervals. The economic and social benefits of well-implemented goals will enhance democracy, freedom and security at the national, regional and international levels, leaving no one behind.