Like others who have
spoken before me, allow me to add my warm
congratulations to Mr. Al-Nasser on his election as
President of the General Assembly for our current
session. My delegation and I assure him, as always, of
our support and cooperation. I also wish to thank
Mr. Joseph Diess of Switzerland for a successful term
as President at the sixty-fifth session. We also
remember another former President of the Assembly,
Mr. Harri Holkeri of Finland, who passed away earlier
this year but who left a lasting impact on the good
work of the General Assembly and the United Nations.
 As for the ongoing leadership of the
Organization, I wish to extend my congratulations to
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on his appointment to
a deserved second term. He and the Secretariat
continue to show the firm resolve needed during these
challenging times of global crisis. We pay tribute also
to the memory of those members of the Secretariat who
have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of
international duty.
 A further example of the critical role played by
the Secretary-General during these difficult times was the
convening earlier this week of the High-level Meeting on
the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases
(NCDs). The dangerous potential of NCDs, unchecked
in small States like mine, threatens not just livelihoods
and lifestyle but whatever gains may have been
achieved as they relate to Millennium Development
Goal (MDG) 6 and the other MDGs.
 At our annual meeting of Pacific Island Forum
leaders in Auckland earlier this month, we adopted a
statement on NCDs in which, among other things, we
committed our Governments to implementing five key
interventions in areas known to reduce NCDs:
Controlling tobacco, improving diets, increasing
physical activity, reducing alcohol intake and
facilitating access to essential drugs and technologies.

17 11-51372

 In that respect, Tonga was pleased to join other
Member States in adopting the Political Declaration
(resolution 66/2, annex) of the High-level Meeting on
the prevention and control of NCDS. I sincerely
believe that the Meeting was a good step in the right
direction for setting a healthier and enjoyable future
for us all.
 We were pleased that the Secretary-General was
able to visit a number of countries in our region on his
way to his historic attendance at the Pacific Islands
Forum. He was able to assess for himself the dominant
impact of climate change on countries in the Pacific
and to validate the activities of Pacific small island
developing States like Tonga in international forums.
We must use the positive foundations laid down
collectively in Copenhagen and Cancún to embrace the
promise that might lie in Durban at the seventeenth
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in
December.
 We are pleased that, in July, under the able
presidency of Germany, the Security Council took solid
steps to seize the moral imperative by holding an open
debate and producing a presidential statement on the
Maintenance of international peace and security and
the impact of climate change (S/PRST/2011/15*). The
Council and its membership, now and in the future,
must not turn from their vigilant duty to keep
themselves in a position of leadership over this issue
and its implications for Member States like Tonga and
others in the Pacific.
 While last year’s High-level Meeting on MDGs
offered small island developing States like Tonga an
opportunity to take stock of their progress towards
achieving those Goals in 2015, we consider that we
have a similar chance to do so as we all prepare for the
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development
next year. We stress the critical importance of the
sustainable development, management and conservation of
our ocean and marine resources — living and
non-living — as a proper source of livelihood and
income for our communities and Governments.
Ensuring that States like ours enjoy a greater share of
the benefits derived from such resources is key. What
we within the Pacific small island developing States
have come to refer to as the “blue economy” will be
our challenge to the Rio Conference to meet the
expectations and development aspirations of our
peoples.
 As such, Tonga continues to observe its
obligations under the United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea and notes the decision taken by
consensus by the States parties this year relating to the
workload of the Commission on the Limits of the
Continental Shelf, whose work is much valued by
coastal States such as mine. Tonga, together with
another sister State from the region, again actively
participated in the work of the International Seabed
Authority this year and noted the decision by the
Authority to grant exploration licenses to entities
sponsored by our respective Governments. This
represents a creative path for States like mine, within
the spirit of the Convention, towards solid partnership
and development. The common heritage of mankind, if
it is to have any true meaning, ought to be common to
all and not just to some or the few with the capacity in
that area.
 Tonga reiterates its call for the creation and
definition of a formal small island developing States
category within the United Nations system. We are in
need of a definition that is not based upon a one-size-
fits-all approach. Like others, we must have a
definition that separates and addresses those States’
diversity of size, population, remoteness, isolation and
different levels of socio-economic development. Such a
definition would not only improve linkages within the
United Nations system but also, we believe, set a good
benchmark for the international community that is both
coherent and practical. It would strengthen the position
of the United Nations and the international system in
addressing small island developing States and the
special and unique challenges they face.
 Like others, we, too, welcome the Republic of
South Sudan as our newest State Member of the United
Nations. Tonga has long been supportive of the efforts
to find a comprehensive, just and enduring peace in the
Middle East. The shifting sands of change known as
the Arab Spring throughout the surrounding region
earlier this year has made such a peace and genuine
security all the more challenging, but not impossible.
This is indeed a moment of truth for those with
genuine hope, not just for a secure Israel and a viable
Palestine, but for those who for so long have had such
hopes for an ambitious peace.
 Tonga’s interest in developing renewable energy
sources, within the context of our Tonga energy road
map, continued to evolve with our election to the
Council of the International Renewable Energy Agency

11-51372 18

(IRENA) at the first session of the Agency’s Assembly,
in April 2011. We will work in earnest to ensure that
the voices of developing States such as Tonga and
others on the new Council are heard, given the key
leading role it will play in the Agency’s decision-
making and future direction. To take on such a role,
IRENA must be prepared to be innovative. The
Agency’s work will take on greater significance in the
coming International Year of Sustainable Energy for
All and its related activities. I would also like to
recognize the strong support of the Government of the
United Arab Emirates as host State for IRENA.
 I am pleased to have addressed the Assembly as
the first democratically elected Prime Minister of
Tonga. In the wake of the elections held in November
of last year, I took office the following month, in
December, after an evolving process of principal
reforms that, within the context of our 1875
Constitution, included the peaceful transfer of
executive power from His Majesty in Privy Council to
the Government of the day; a Parliament in which the
majority of members are elected by universal suffrage;
a Prime Minister elected by a majority of the elected
Members of Parliament; a Cabinet nominated by the
Prime Minister and chosen largely from those elected
Members of Parliament; a constitutional monarchy;
and a strong and independent judiciary free of political
influence.
 Notwithstanding this peaceful evolution, the
fundamental freedoms and values guaranteed under the
Constitution continue to afford legal protection and
comforting reassurance to all Tongans.
 To address the uncertain future of the current
global economic and financial climate, my Government
has approved the Tonga strategic development
framework, which provides an overall framework to
guide the Government’s activities for the next four
years. It involves nine priority areas, from building
strong, inclusive communities to improving health and
education standards for a safe, secure and stable
Tongan society. Earlier this month, my Government
signed separate agreements with the Asian
Development Bank and the World Bank to improve
information and communications technology services
for Tonga so as to make them affordable and
accessible. Improving such services will enable Tonga
to enhance its related education, health and
Government services as well. My Government
sincerely believes that this framework will put Tonga
on a firm path to improving its ability to meaningfully
achieve the United Nations Millennium Development
Goals by 2015.
 As such, in closing my Government happily
reaffirms its commitment to the principles of the
Charter of the United Nations, and we pledge to
support the ongoing work and reform of the
Organization.


It is a great
pleasure for me to be back at the United Nations
Headquarters. Last February I had the honour of taking
part in a Security Council meeting, where I took the
opportunity to thank the permanent members and all

11-51197 12

other nations that have been part of the Council for the
generosity and care that have always been present in
the resolutions on Timor-Leste. Today, on behalf of the
people of Timor-Leste, I want to take this opportunity
to thank all Members of this forum for the support they
have given to Timor-Leste in the promotion of peace
and security and in the building of our national
institutions. I am pleased to inform the General
Assembly that we have come a long way as a people
and as a State, replacing intolerance with constructive
dialogue and the right to protest with the duty to
protest responsibly. We have taken firm steps to put the
difficult circumstances of the past behind us, and we
have renewed the confidence of the Timorese people in
the institutions of the State. As such we have already
endorsed the Joint Transition Plan for the withdrawal
of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-
Leste by the end of 2012.
 We are in the last year of the five-year mandate
of the Coalition Government that I have the honour of
leading — the Parliamentary Majority Alliance (AMP),
which includes five different political parties. Under
the Constitution of Timor-Leste the Government is
determined either by the party with the most elected
representatives or by an alliance of parties with a
parliamentary majority, as it is our National Parliament
that is elected directly by the people and not the
Government itself. A government can be constituted
only if it is supported by a parliamentary majority.
Following the 2007 elections the party with the most
parliamentary representatives did not have a majority
in its own right, so the President of the Republic, after
formally meeting with all parties, endorsed a coalition
government in order to provide the best opportunity for
stable government. This constitutional option served
the best interests of the nation, as we were living in a
period of great fragility at that time as demonstrated by
the instability and violence that were the consequences
of the 2006 crisis.
 Having inherited an unstable national situation,
the AMP Government focused on restoring peace and
stability and resolving the many social and political
problems that stemmed from the 2006 crisis and
continued into 2008. We were determined to put an end
to the violent outbreaks that began in 2000 and were
repeated every two years, as though Timor-Leste was
trapped in a vicious cycle of violence. The key to
breaking the cycle was to acknowledge and admit that
we had failed. We had to address the root causes of our
problems and learn to deal with the frailty of our State
institutions. Fortunately we were successful in
conveying a strong political message about the need
for stability. The AMP Government committed itself to
a reform agenda and by governing through dialogue
was able to: initiate vital reforms in the defence and
security sectors, including capacity-building and
professionalizing the police and defence forces;
implement structural reforms in the State
Administration’s management; create systems and
structures to ensure good governance, while continuing
to support capacity-building in the justice sector;
introduce fairer social policies to reduce the imbalance
that existed in the society, taking into account the
physical, moral and psychological damage of a 24-year-
long war, and here I am speaking about veterans and
the elderly, who sacrificed themselves for our
independence and who, directly or indirectly, have
suffered the consequences of a devastating war;
encourage structured policies on education, health and
agriculture; and promote a coherent economic policy
throughout Timor-Leste to encourage the fledgling
private sector.
 In 2009, on the tenth anniversary of the
referendum, the Government launched a new motto:
“Goodbye conflict, welcome development”. The people
of Timor-Leste embraced this motto wholeheartedly. In
looking forward to the period 2011-2020 we are
confident that we are now truly becoming a more
stable and tolerant society that is peaceful by nature.
We also have the necessary optimism to initiate a
bolder period of development.
 Over the past four years we have been
strengthening the institutional capacity of our public
administration to defend the best interests of the State,
improve public-service delivery, and promote good
governance.
 We have introduced reforms in the area of public
finance management and we have created a Civil Service
Commission. We have also created an Anti-Corruption
Commission and begun to establish a Chamber of
Accounts to promote transparency and accountability
in our public accounts. Earlier this year we launched an
on-line transparency portal and procurement portal
providing access to data that is updated daily and that
deals with the process of the Timor-Leste State general
budget and its execution. These portals also allow
public consultation on advertised public projects.

13 11-51197

 We have also begun to develop the capacity of
our private sector by promoting competence,
professional honesty and technical skills. Our aim is to
transform the private sector into a strong partner with
Government at this crucial period when we are
building our country. Across the country we have
invested in agriculture to increase the productivity of
the sector, as well as local and decentralized
development programmes focused on minor
infrastructure projects to promote employment for
young people in rural areas. Such measures have
contributed to our economic growth and helped create
jobs in the capital, Dili, and in rural areas, and they
have encouraged confidence in our State institutions
and led to a spirit of optimism that has contributed to a
change in mindset.
 Timor-Leste is a country blessed with great
natural wealth, which means that we have the financial
capacity to improve the living conditions of our people.
However, we know that countries rich in natural
resources often perform below their economic potential
and are more vulnerable to conflict and more
susceptible to bad governance. As such, transparency
and good governance, which are essential in any
country, become even more imperative for countries
that are rich in natural resources. Currently, the
Petroleum Fund of Timor-Leste has a balance of
$8.9 billion. We are the first country in Asia and the
third in the world to be compliant with the Extractive
Industries Transparency Initiative. As a result of our
good governance and prudent use of revenue, Timor-
Leste has had double-digit growth in the past few
years. We believe that we are on the path to maintain
this growth, and we are confident that the institutions
we have established to support the Fund will become
stronger, ensuring responsiveness and greater quality
of work and execution. We will diversify the
investment of our Petroleum Fund equally in bonds and
equities to guarantee long-term sustainability, so that
future generations will benefit in the same way as the
current post-war generation.
 Having achieved our goal of stability we were in
a position to prepare a 20-year strategic development
plan, which would replace the annual plan for each
fiscal year. The plan covers three vital areas — social
capital, infrastructure and economic development. In
terms of economic development we are focused on
three strategic industry sectors — the hydrocarbon
industry, the agriculture sector and tourism. We want to
shift from an oil-dependent economy to a non-oil-
dependent economy. All the strategies and actions set
out in the plan aim to transform Timor-Leste from a
low-income country to an upper middle-income
country with a healthy, well-educated and safe
population that is prosperous and self-sufficient in
terms of food. This new paradigm requires public
investment in infrastructure and services and a
dynamic private sector. Many emerging economies,
particularly in the Asian region, have been growing
despite the serious international financial crisis.
 Next year will be very important for us to
consolidate our process of State-building and to affirm
ourselves as a sovereign, tolerant and democratic
nation. In 2012 we will hold presidential and
legislative elections, the third democratic elections in
Timor-Leste, which I am confident will be conducted
peacefully. Next year we will also celebrate vital
historic dates that connect us to the more recent past,
namely, the struggle for independence, and to older
roots that make us unique within the region and the
world.
 In addition to celebrating the tenth anniversary of
the restoration of independence, in 2012 we will also
celebrate the centenary of the Manufahi Revolt and the
500-year anniversary of the arrival of the first
Portuguese navigators in Timor-Leste. I should like to
take this opportunity to invite all to take part in these
celebrations, in the same spirit of thanks and solidarity
as the invitation that we extended to our independence
celebrations in 2002. We were not alone on that
important date, and we continue to benefit from the
generosity and support of nations throughout the
world. We are pleased to continue to strengthen and to
expand our ties of solidarity with friendly countries
from various continents with different stories, different
beliefs and different ethnicities.
 We are trying to be more active in our region and
in the world, showing that it is possible to leave
behind, or to close, a period of conflict, even a long
period, and to focus our energy on humanist ideals of
political and social tolerance for the dignity and
development of all. That is why we are intent on
joining the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Timor-Leste desires peace and shares the spirit of
cooperation that led to the creation of that regional
organization. We are also continuing to build upon our
relationships with our friends in Asia and the Pacific,

11-51197 14

including China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and
New Zealand, among others.
 Timor-Leste is strongly committed as well to its
membership in the Community of Portuguese-speaking
Countries which consists of nations and peoples from
the four corners of the world. We are observers in the
Pacific Islands Forum and we have a good relationship
with the European Union, which provides significant
support and assistance. Next week I will make an
official visit to Portugal, which shares ties with Timor-
Leste that go back hundreds of years. Despite being in
one of the worst economic and financial crises in its
history, exacerbated by the global and European
financial crisis, Portugal remains a steadfast partner of
Timor-Leste and has strengthened its bilateral
cooperation in several areas. The first Timorese
military personnel are being trained in Portugal and
will be integrated into the Portuguese contingent that
will participate in the peacekeeping mission in
Lebanon under the United Nations Interim Force in
Lebanon.
 Timor-Leste is one of the 50 States classified as a
least developed country (LDC). We are also called a
fragile State. That classification stems from
institutional, political, economic, social and other
factors. In April last year we had the honour to host an
international dialogue in Dili on the subject of “Peace-
building and State-building” with the participation of
LDCs from the group we call the Group of Seven Plus
(g7+), which is at present chaired by Timor-Leste. This
group is a forum that allows fragile and post-conflict
countries to come together and talk about themselves,
learn from each other’s experiences and create new
possibilities for facing the future with determination
and optimism. The g7+ consists of 17 member
countries covering around 350 million people from
Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Pacific. The g7+
also aims to improve the transparency and efficiency of
international aid. The group is a mechanism for
dialogue with each other and with the international
community about aid programmes and aid
effectiveness. It should also be noted that fragile States
require a period of transition with greater flexibility in
donor funding, instead of a policy of one size fits all,
which can only interfere with the individual processes
of each country.
 A high-level forum on development assistance is
scheduled to take place next November in Pusan, South
Korea. In that forum we will evaluate progress made in
achieving the Millennium Development Goals and will
also set new action frameworks. Under-developed
countries focus on meeting Millennium Development
Goals every day, although it will be very difficult to
meet them by 2015. These countries face daily
challenges and difficulties in pursuing objectives to
combat poor administration and reduce poverty.
Democracy is a process and not an end in itself. Most
of these countries are young democracies and have the
arduous task of changing the mindset of their people
scarred by conflict. They must also deal with internal
and external pressures that prevent them from paying
too much attention to a series of universal criteria that
are too idealized or standardized and not adjusted to
the actual situation of those countries. Understanding
the specific circumstances of each developing country
and motivating the people to cultivate a spirit of hope
and belonging will surely yield more results than
forcing situations where receiving countries cannot
immediately meet the conditions imposed on them,
thereby being put in a situation of moral,
psychological, political and financial dependency,
which does little to help them move towards
development.
 It is in that context of balanced and sustained
development that I raise the issue of aid effectiveness.
Poor countries also need a message of confidence,
since all they hear about is transparency and
accountability. Still, the international economic
recession proves that the lessons taught by those with
all the power, the knowledge and the money may not
always be the best. Therefore, I believe that we must
all — poor countries and donor countries — change
our attitudes. The United Nations has a vital role to
play here in terms of correcting and adjusting aid to
actual and local realities.
 We remain divided into North and South, into
rich and poor, into Westerners and Arabs, into Asians
and Africans, into Muslims and non-Muslims, and into
Christians and non-Christians. Even today many of the
people who hold or influence power still have a Cold
War mentality. We need a new world order that is also
political and economic, where conflicts and discord are
replaced by dialogue, where democracy is used to give
voice to the weak and vulnerable and where aid and
solidarity are used appropriately to mitigate the
suffering of the people. We have to give voice to the
peoples of the world and listen to their aspirations.
Only through dialogue can we fight violence, which

15 11-51197

causes all kinds of misery. Only through peaceful
solutions can we prevent the massive destruction
caused by war.
 The people of Timor-Leste, who have
experienced the pain caused by destruction and
violence, hope that their brothers and sisters
throughout the world who are suffering today because
of conflicts may find peace. However, as everyone
says, peace is not only the absence of war, true peace
comes from within, the peace of spirit. Therefore, I
appeal to the United States of America to demonstrate
greatness of spirit and humanism and eliminate the
Cuban embargo that has existed for more than
25 years.
 Lastly, in 1991 I was still in the mountains
leading the resistance when the Western Sahara
referendum was first proposed. I was in prison in 1995
when Yasser Arafat, Shimon Perez and Yitzak Rabin
received the Nobel Peace Prize. Two Timor-Leste
citizens also received the Nobel Peace Prize, and
Indonesia accepted the referendum result, just as North
Sudan did.
 We hope that the people of Western Sahara and
Palestine can find more viable, fair and realistic ways
through mechanisms that will lead them effectively to
the resolution of their conflicts, which, sadly, are
becoming the oldest conflicts in the world. We all need
to reform our mindsets, attitudes and institutions. We
all must start these reforms within our own nations, but
I should like to suggest a common challenge here, that
these reforms begin right here in this building at the
headquarters of the United Nations.


Seldom has
people’s yearning for freedom, dignity and self-
determination played such a dominant role as it has this
year. Until now, we have experienced globalization

49 11-51384

first and foremost through the ever-greater integration
of the world economy. Today, we see that globalization
means so much more; that it has also brought about a
globalization of values. Those are the values enshrined
in the United Nations Charter, the inalienable rights
contained in the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.
 In North Africa and in the Arab world, millions of
people have shaken off the shackles of decades of
oppression. They want freedom, democracy and human
rights, as well as better lives for themselves and their
families. That road is anything but easy. A new
political system must mature in order to become stable.
That takes time and patience. However, even the
longest road begins with the very first step. This is a
year of momentous steps.
 We have not forgotten the moving images of
people who won dignity and self-respect by their own
efforts, the proud faces on Bourguiba Boulevard in
Tunis and in Tahrir Square in Cairo. Those people want
to shape their own future, and their yearning is by no
means limited to the Arab world. In Belarus, too,
people long for an end to repression and tyranny and
for the opportunity to fully develop their individual
personalities.
 With the fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification
more than 20 years ago, Germany experienced for
itself the joy of a peaceful revolution. Today we have a
fundamental interest in the success of the political
awakening in the southern Mediterranean region. We
Germans offer our support for the reforms in Morocco
and Jordan, the political awakening in Egypt and
Tunisia, and the fresh start in Libya following the
overthrow of the dictator.
 Every country and every society will find its own
way into the modern world, either through revolution
or through reform. We want to provide advice and
support. We want to help create an independent
judiciary, a pluralistic media landscape, and a vibrant
civil society. We want to help people come to terms
with their past and we want to support the
constitutional process. Above all, however, we want to
assist in the crucial process of building a new social
and economic order, for we all know that the success of
social change largely hinges on economic success.
People who take to the streets for freedom and self-
determination must see first-hand that they, too, can
succeed with the help of their ideas, their creativity and
their commitment.
 Germany is therefore working not only for close
partnerships but for increased market access. We want
to foster change through increased trade. We are
offering investments, especially in the small and
medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of an
open and successful society. Most important of all,
however, will be to offer young people education and
training so that they can make the most of their
opportunities. That is of key importance to successful
transitions and fresh starts in those countries.
 The courageous men and women of Syria deserve
a clear sign of our solidarity. The Syrian Government
has responded to the legitimate demands of the Syrian
people with brutal force. Germany will continue to
press for a Security Council resolution. This is not only
about showing solidarity with the Syrian people; it is
also about the credibility of the international
community. If the repression continues, we Europeans
will further tighten sanctions against the regime. The
Syrian people should be free to shape their own future.
 This week has been dominated by the unresolved
conflict in the Middle East. On Friday here in New
York, President Abbas expressed the Palestinians’
expectations and understandable frustration with the
lack of progress made (see ). On the same
day, Prime Minister Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s
justified desire to exist in peace within secure borders
(see ). Both sides have legitimate interests.
However, these interests are certainly not
irreconcilable. They can be overcome if the parties
involved are willing to do so.
 Germany is backing a two-State solution. We
support a Palestinian State that will allow the
Palestinians to live in dignity and self-determination
and that is independent, sovereign, contiguous and
democratic, as well as politically and economically
viable. Over the past few years, we have been heavily
involved in the practical development of this statehood
by helping to build an administration, infrastructure
and vocational training, as well as politically, in the
German-Palestinian Steering Committee. And we do
not want that State to be founded sometime in the
distant and indeterminate future.
 Let there be no doubt, however, that the security
of Israel is and will continue to be part of the raison
d’être of the Federal Republic of Germany. Peace

11-51384 50

between Israelis and Palestinians is possible. A
Palestinian State is possible. Two States existing
peacefully side by side are possible. However, they can
be achieved only through negotiations. The statement
issued by the Middle East Quartet on Friday identified
the milestones along the way. Germany worked hard
for that Quartet statement and staunchly supports it.
 The confrontation of words here in New York
must not be allowed to lead to an escalation in violence
in the Middle East. I therefore call on both sides,
Palestinians and Israelis, to enter into direct
negotiations without delay. On Friday, the two sides
reaffirmed their desire for a negotiated peace. The task
now is to channel the energy and pressure of recent
days into a constructive process. The two sides have
been called on to come forward within three months
with comprehensive proposals on territory and security,
and to refrain from all provocative actions. The
international community will continue to support the
difficult road to peace. This includes the Moscow
conference as part of the negotiating timetable for the
coming months.
 I would like to express my appreciation to all
who have worked so hard in the past few days to create
this opportunity for a constructive solution. As a
European, I would like to extend my special thanks to
the European Union’s High Representative, Lady
Ashton. Let us make use of the impetus provided by
the intensive efforts here in New York for the benefit of
the people of Israel and the Palestinian territories.
 The international community has worked
tirelessly for years to ensure that Afghanistan ceases to
harbour a threat to international peace and security.
Many, indeed too many people have already lost their
lives as a result of that threat. On 5 December in Bonn,
under Afghanistan’s chairmanship, we will discuss the
way forward. The Conference will focus on three major
issues. The first is the complete handover of
responsibility for security. This summer saw the start
of a process whereby the Afghans are to gradually
assume responsibility for security in their country by
2014. This is a responsible handover of responsibility.
 Secondly, the international community will
remain engaged in Afghanistan after 2014. Afghanistan
will continue to need economic initiatives and more
regional cooperation to help strengthen its sovereignty.
The New Silk Road initiative, which we launched here
in New York last week, is intended to serve this aim.
 Thirdly, Afghanistan’s internal reconciliation and
support from States in the region are critical to lasting
peace. The brutal murder of former President Rabbani
shows that the reconciliation process will continue to
suffer setbacks. Nevertheless, it must and will go on.
Germany will play its part on the road to Bonn.
 While people are seizing the opportunity to build
a better future for themselves in freedom and self-
determination in a growing number of countries around
the world, millions in the Horn of Africa are struggling
to survive. The United Nations has played a valuable
role in providing swift humanitarian assistance.
Germany is doing everything in its power in this and
many other crises to alleviate the suffering.
 The collapse of State authority and the impact of
climate change are aggravating the already disastrous
situation. Germany will continue to be in the vanguard
of the fight against climate change. As with
disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation, as well as
the protection of human rights, the fight against
climate change is an integral element of preventive
diplomacy. It is part of a farsighted peace policy.
 By the end of this year, our planet will have more
than 7 billion inhabitants. In that world, Germany will
place its hopes in a strong United Nations as a forum
for political consensus-building, a source of rules with
international legitimacy, and a player in the crisis
regions of this world. The United Nations Charter and
the Universal Declaration of Human Rights offer more
people than ever before the direction and inspiration
they need to strive for a cooperative world order and a
fairer global community.
 However, the United Nations has to adapt to our
changing world. Only then will the decisions made
here gain political force, effectiveness and acceptance.
New centres of power are emerging in global politics.
Their economic dynamism has prompted them to
demand political participation. The sixty-fifth session
of the General Assembly considered United Nations
reform, but no real progress has been achieved so far.
We welcome the fact that the new President intends to
again personally champion this reform. We will do
everything we can to him.
 In September 38 years ago, two German States
were admitted to the United Nations. At that time, my
predecessor in office, Walter Scheel, stated before the
Assembly:

51 11-51384

 “Where there is a question of international
cooperation, of preserving peace and of
protecting the rights of man, there the Federal
Republic of Germany will always be found. If
there is anything we have learned from our own
bitter experience it is this: man is the measure of
all things”.
 Man is the measure of all things. Germany
remains committed to this principle.


Twenty years ago,
Lithuania rejoined the international community of
sovereign States and became a Member of the United
Nations. The unique experience of peaceful transition,
State-building and reforms during the past 20 years has
made Lithuania stronger and more determined. History
has taught us that an honest broker at the national,

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bilateral or multilateral level is the key to solving
almost any problem.
 In recent years, we have invested in building our
capacity to become such a broker. Lithuania has just
concluded its chairmanship of the Community of
Democracies. Today, we are proud to chair the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. I
am also confident that Lithuania’s commitment to
effective multilateralism and the fostering of dialogue
and cooperation internationally makes it a deserving
candidate for non-permanent membership of the
Security Council. We are ready and determined to run
for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council for
the 2014-15 term.
 Meanwhile, looking forward to Lithuania’s
presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-seventh
session next year, I would like to assure members that
we will do our utmost to contribute effectively and
wisely to the work and principles of the United Nations
in all of its bodies.
 Just a few months ago, women leaders from all
parts of the world met in Vilnius to share their
experiences in enhancing democracy worldwide. This
event, organized by Lithuania as Chair of the
Community of Democracies, confirmed my belief that
the involvement of women in addressing common
problems and concerns is still very low. Therefore,
Lithuania strongly welcomed resolution 65/283 on
strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful
settlement of disputes, conflict prevention and
resolution, proposed by Finland and Turkey and
adopted by the General Assembly. I am very pleased
that that resolution advocates the enhanced role of
women in peace mediation. The full involvement of
women in conflict resolution, peace talks and decisions
on post-conflict reconstruction is essential.
 The same applies to the protection of women in
conflict situations as defined in the historic Security
Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions.
I would like to announce that Lithuania has drawn up
its first national action plan for implementing
resolution 1325 (2000).
 We live in an era of constant change. The
maintenance and improvement of our ability to tackle
traditional crises must be supplemented with an
increased capacity of the United Nation to address such
new threats and challenges as energy security,
cybercrime, food safety and climate change, to mention
only a few. I especially appreciate and would like to
stress the importance of the Secretary-General’s strong
engagement in nuclear safety and his call to build a
stronger connection between nuclear safety and nuclear
security.
 In the light of the world’s energy needs today,
nuclear energy can be an essential element of
sustainable global development, provided it is used
with necessary responsibility. I would like to draw the
Assembly’s special attention to the word
“responsibility”. Chernobyl and Fukushima are tragic
examples, but they teach us very important lessons. It
is not enough to rely only on recommendations,
proposals and encouragement for cooperation when we
deal with nuclear safety issues. I believe that our
responsibility is to create strict legal international
imperatives. We cannot allow any compromises on
safety and security.
 In this respect, the efforts of the United Nations,
the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the
European Union and other organizations to ensure
nuclear safety throughout the world are critically
needed today. Lithuania emphasizes the key role of the
IAEA in this area. We welcome the ambitious nuclear
safety action plan that was adopted by the IAEA
General Conference in Vienna today.
 Lithuania believes that strict adherence to
uniform nuclear safety standards must be obligatory.
Specialized Agency missions for the entire nuclear
cycle, including site evaluation and follow-up
missions, should also become an inseparable part of
any nuclear power plant development. Each and every
nuclear power plant, its site, nuclear technology and
even the ability of the personnel to ensure safety
maintenance should be subject to stress tests. Last but
not least, information about all existing and planned
nuclear projects must be absolutely transparent and
open to public access.
 We believe that the nuclear security summit in the
Republic of Korea next year will provide an excellent
platform for discussing nuclear safety and security
issues for the whole world. With a view to that
forthcoming summit, Lithuania is ready to contribute
to the practical measures set forth in the 2010 Nuclear
Security Summit Work Plan.
 The prevention of any type of crisis — be it a
military conflict, a nuclear accident or a terrorist
attack — is a challenge for all of us. But it is also an

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opportunity: an opportunity to strengthen the United
Nations leadership, an opportunity to intensify our
joint work, an opportunity to promote dialogue and
mediation, and even an opportunity to save resources
that can then be devoted to research and development,
protection of the environment and support for the most
vulnerable. I invite us all to seize that opportunity for
the sake of our common safety, security and prosperity,
which is what we all wish for.


I start by congratulating
Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the
General Assembly at its current session, on his
election, and express our belief that with his wisdom
and experience he will guide the Assembly well.
 I also express our sincere gratitude to the
outgoing President, Mr. Joseph Deiss, for his important
contribution to the work of the General Assembly and
the United Nations.
 Obviously, I wish to pay special tribute to the
Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and to thank him
for the vision and dedication with which he works for

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the United Nations and for his tireless efforts to
promote the spirit of the Charter. We deeply appreciate
his leadership and wish him continued success in his
second term in office as he guides the United Nations
in these challenging times.
 Slovenia welcomes the President’s decision to put
the theme of mediation at the centre of our
deliberations at this session. Indeed, no other theme
seems more timely at this moment of search for an
approach towards a peaceful resolution of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. The European Union, to which
Slovenia belongs, is currently fully engaged with high-
profile mediation in this context. The mediation under
way has two aims.
 The first is the revival of the peace process with a
view to finding an early solution — a genuine and fair
peace agreement involving two States, Israel and
Palestine, which would live side by side in peace and
security. Secondly, an immediate task relevant to the
United Nations is to find an adequate status for
Palestine within the ranks of our common, global
Organization. Those two aims are genuinely linked,
and the latter should be understood as supporting the
former.
 Our common Organization, the United Nations, is
committed to its inclusive character and the
universality of its membership. This is the spirit in
which we see some of the significant developments of
this year.
 We welcome the Republic of South Sudan as the
newest Member of the United Nations. Our
Organization should render every assistance to the new
Member in its efforts to establish its structures and to
serve the wellbeing of its people.
 We also welcome the decision of the General
Assembly to grant the seat of Libya to the
representatives of the National Transitional Council of
Libya. This has established a much needed link
between the United Nations and the people of Libya in
their effort to build legitimate, democratic and
effective institutions and to pursue the path of
economic, social and political development, in
accordance with the wishes of the people.
 Yesterday, at a special High-level Meeting we
discussed the forms of assistance in some detail. Today
we can say that there is a fair chance of success for
effective cooperation between the people of Libya and
the United Nations as well as the regional
organizations — in particular, the African Union and
the Arab League. Together we shall be better able to
assist. Slovenia is willing to continue to do its part in
this framework.
 Political and security concerns are always an
important priority for the United Nations. But they
have to be considered against the background of other
priorities, both long-term and short-term. The
Organization has developed its engagements in the
most important and the most difficult issues of
environment and sustainable development. We need to
take resolute steps towards a new and effective system
to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure the
necessary adaptation.
 We hope that the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, to be held in Durban later this year, will bring
us a step closer to final agreement. The negative
impacts of climate change are disproportionate. We
should pay particular attention to the unique challenges
faced by the small island developing States, whose
characteristics make them among the most vulnerable
in the world to climate change.
 The United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, to be held next year, will be an
opportunity to secure renewed political commitment to
sustainable development, to assess the progress of
implementation of agreed commitments, and to address
new and emerging challenges. We should strengthen
our efforts to develop a new concept of development
that will capture economic growth, social development
and environmental protection. It is our duty to make a
difference, and making a difference requires a more
comprehensive definition of development.
 Maintaining our focus on the successful
implementation of the Millennium Development Goals,
we should pay particular attention to the special needs
of Africa, especially those countries most in need. The
Istanbul Programme of Action offers concrete solutions
for improving progress in the least developed
countries.
 In times of economic crisis in the donor
countries, which seems to continue unabated,
increasing aid proves difficult to attain. Improving aid
effectiveness is crucial.

17 11-50847

 There can be no gain in the field of development
if other policies, such as trade, agriculture, migration,
climate change and so on, cancel out the positive
effects of development policies. In this regard, let me
convey our hopes for the successful deliberations of
the High-level Forum to be held in Busan later this
year.
 Recent experience in the exercise of development
activities has strengthened understanding of the links
between development and human rights. The concept
of the right to development is gaining in substance and
recognition. Moreover, specific development tasks
have provided further evidence of the importance of
this link. The role of women in development is a
pertinent example. Experience and research by the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations, for example, have shown that empowerment
of women in agriculture can reduce hunger by 30 per
cent — a very impressive result by any measure.
 Gender equality and the empowerment of women
are essential to promoting peace, security and above all
development. Slovenia strongly supports the work of
UN-Women, which will help to significantly boost
United Nations efforts to promote gender equality,
expand opportunities and tackle discrimination against
women around the globe.
 Another priority in the field of human rights that
Slovenia values highly relates to the rights of the child
and to human rights education. This year, as President
of the Executive Board of UNICEF, Slovenia worked
tirelessly to attain universal ratification of both
optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of
the Child. The objective should be to ensure, through
United Nations instruments and national action,
effective protection of the rights of the child and to
improve the wellbeing of children in all parts of the
world.
 An important segment of this work relates to
human rights education, which helps to empower
young people in their efforts to secure their rightful
place in society. I remember when Slovenia and Costa
Rica launched a human rights education campaign in
the Third Committee almost 20 years ago. It is
gratifying to see that today human rights are
increasingly being included in official school
curriculums. But there is still much more that we need
to do to incorporate human rights learning into
societies as a lifelong process. The United Nations, its
Human Rights Council and the General Assembly will,
I am convinced, continue to make a significant
contribution.
 I would like to express satisfaction over the
adoption of the draft declaration on human rights
education and training by the Human Rights Council
during its March session this year. I call on all States to
support this important declaration, which I am
convinced the General Assembly will adopt —
hopefully, unanimously — later this autumn.
 Human rights concerns are most tragic in the case
of humanitarian disasters. The current famine in the
Horn of Africa is a sad example. It is a crisis of human
existence and human rights. All actors of the
international community, including my country,
Slovenia, are already trying to help. But more help is
needed; humanitarian assistance must expand.
 I have briefly referred to some of Slovenia’s areas
of particular importance, particular engagement and
particular activity. Our commitment to the United
Nations is strong and will remain strong.
 The United Nations is an Organization of all and
for all. For almost 20 years now Slovenia has been
working as a devoted Member State. We have made
proposals for specific action and enjoyed working with
all other Member States — large and small,
geographically close and geographically distant. We
have worked together on specific proposals and
decisions and on implementation.
 We have also proposed a set of ideas for reform
of the Security Council. We hope that the coming year
will see more resolute steps in that regard, and that
more progress will be made than there has been so far.
 The United Nations is an important hope — a
hope for the world — and an opportunity for its
Member States to bring the reality, complicated and
onerous as it may be, closer to our hopes. It is in this
spirit that Slovenia has presented its candidature for a
non-permanent seat on the Security Council. We hope
for broad support.
 If we are elected we shall be a faithful United
Nations Member State, aware of the responsibilities of
the Security Council and all its members towards the
entire Organization and all Member States. We pledge
our efforts, our judgement and our sense of fairness as
a contribution to the United Nations. And fairness is a

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commodity, a principle, a value, that the international
community needs most of all.


Allow me at the outset,
Mr. President, to join previous speakers in
congratulating you warmly on your assumption of
office to preside over the General Assembly at its
sixty-sixth session. Your election is testimony to the
growing confidence of the international community in
the ability and commitment of the smaller Members of
this Organization to play an increasingly active and
responsible role in the United Nations. I would also
like to take this opportunity to place on record our deep
and abiding appreciation to your predecessor,
Mr. Joseph Deiss, for the exemplary manner in which
he guided the work of the sixty-fifth session.
 Allow me also to convey my sincere felicitations
to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, on his re-election for a second term. We
remain confident that his experience and leadership
will ensure that this Organization, in which so many of
our hopes and dreams are invested, will be equal to the
many complex challenges facing us during these
tumultuous times.
 We are at a defining moment in history. Across
the Middle East and North Africa, popular
pro-democracy uprisings are sweeping away
longstanding dictatorships. We are witnessing the
greatest liberation movement since the fall of the
Berlin Wall. But what is most striking is that it is
happening in countries with predominantly Muslim
populations. The democratic uprisings across the
Middle East prove that Muslims yearn for democratic
rights just as much as non-Muslims.
 For me, that is not surprising. After all, we are all
human. We all feel resentment if those in power steal
our county’s wealth. We all feel frustrated if we are
prevented from speaking our minds.
 In the fog and confusion of the turmoil we are
witnessing in the Middle East, one thing stands
abundantly clear. The demand for human rights and
democratic values is universal. The march of
democracy is inevitable. And the argument that says
Islam and democracy cannot be united is shown to be
foolish and patronizing.
 My country, the Maldives, in some ways was a
harbinger of the Arab awakening. Our revolution began
eight years ago. Then, in 2008, presidential elections
brought peaceful closure to a 30-year authoritarian
regime. Since then, we have had our difficulties
consolidating democracy. There are many hurdles to
overcome.
 But I am pleased to report that in the three years
since the elections Maldives is generally stable, safe
and successful. I do not want to sound complacent.
Democracy is a process, not an end goal. Freedoms are
always threatened in one way or the other. A successful
democracy requires more than just the separation of
powers. We also need free media, strong institutions
and a vibrant civil society. Above all, we need patience
to realize the fruits that democracy brings.
 Nevertheless, I can report without exaggeration
that Maldives enjoys more freedoms today than at any
other point in our history. I am sure that, with the
support of the United Nations, the peoples of Tunisia,
Egypt, Libya and other countries will also enjoy
democratic freedoms.
 We must counter the false perception that people
must choose between devotion to Islam on the one
hand, and the full enjoyment of human rights on the
other. We strongly believe in the compatibility of Islam
and human rights and seek to do our part to promote
understanding and tolerance. That is why we intend to
organize, during 2012, a major international conference
on progressive Islamic jurisprudence and human rights.
With this conference, we hope to renew the concepts of
peace and tolerance, coexistence and inter-faith
harmony in Islam.
 As we watch the changes in the Middle East and
North Africa, it has become even more imperative that
the question of Palestine be addressed. The Maldives
stands shoulder to shoulder with the Palestinian people.
The time for Palestine to join the international family
of nations is long overdue. We therefore welcome its
application for statehood. The Maldives calls on all
Members to support the recognition of a Palestinian
State, living side by side and at peace with the State of
Israel. While recognizing the rights of the Palestinians,
we also value and support the right of the people of
Israel to live in peace and security.
 We are proud to announce that last week
Maldives acceded to the Rome Statute of the
International Criminal Court. Maldives believes that
human rights must be protected at the national and
international levels alike. We are pleased to join a
growing alliance of States that stand firmly against

11-51384 6

those who believe they can violate human rights with
impunity. In our globalized world, those who trample
human rights or deny basic freedoms will be held
accountable. I am proud that the Maldives has now
taken its rightful place as a defender of international
law and human rights.
 As a small island State, we understand that our
means are modest. Nevertheless, we are proud to
contribute to United Nations efforts to promote peace
and security. In this regard, we are pleased to note that
following the approval of our Parliament, the Maldives
is looking forward to becoming engaged for the first
time in United Nations peacekeeping efforts around the
world.
 As a newly graduated least developed country
(LDC), we welcome the international support we have
received in our transition. Our graduation from LDC to
middle-income status has not been easy. Based on our
experience, I would like to say that the international
community must continue to help States make a
smooth transition from LDC status. We must not allow
graduation from LDC status, and the removal of
support that comes with it, to undermine a country’s
progress and development.
 The Maldives has spared no effort in highlighting
the growing threats posed by climate change. Our
nation is just one and a half metres above sea level. For
us, climate change is no vague or abstract menace, but
a clear and present danger to our very existence as a
nation-State. Over the past year, the world has
experienced an increase in natural and man-made
disasters, which compels us to address the effects of
climate change with more resolutely and urgently. It is
becoming increasingly evident that the international
community needs to be better prepared and equipped to
address the challenges of disaster preparedness and
response.
 Cutting global carbon dioxide emissions to a
safer level — below 350 parts per million — is not just
an environmental issue. It is also an issue of national
security. We view the cutting of carbon emissions not
as a burden but rather as an opportunity — an
opportunity not just to protect the climate, but also to
create new jobs and grow our economies. For these
reasons, Maldives is proud to announce that we will
dedicate a minimum of 2 per cent of our total
Government revenue to investments in renewable
energy.
 We look forward to the day when the
international community will adopt a legally binding
climate treaty. We welcome the incorporation of the
political pledges contained in the Copenhagen Accord
into the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change process in Cancún. In Durban, we look
forward to helping to advance the process so that we
can reach the elusive prize of an agreement that
protects the climate and the interests of vulnerable
nation-States.
 From the very beginning, the sustainable
development of small island developing States (SIDS)
has been inextricably linked to the Rio process.
Unfortunately, the objectives defined in the Barbados
Programme of Action and the Mauritius Strategy have,
like the goals expressed in the Rio Declaration on
Environment and Development, gone largely unmet.
 Now, as we set the goals of the United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development, we must
include in the agenda a serious review of the progress
made by the international community in addressing the
sustainable development challenges facing small island
developing States. The Maldives hopes that Rio 2012
will provide a platform and create the necessary
impetus to radically reform international support for
SIDS. This should pave the way for establishing a
SIDS category based on objective, transparent and
consistent criteria.
 We must also analyse and identify the particular
challenges and needs of SIDS, which are different from
those of other developing countries. We must further
ensure that United Nations programmes are redesigned
to assist with those particular challenges. Maldives
believes that three issues should form some of the key
pillars to be discussed and acted upon in Rio next year.
They are, first, the reform of United Nations support
for the sustainable development of SIDS, secondly, a
political declaration and strategy to give impetus to the
roll-out and mobilization of renewable energy and
green technologies, and lastly, improvements in the
integration of sustainable development principles into
international and domestic policy at strategic and
project levels alike.
 We are deeply concerned by the dire food crisis
in the Horn of Africa. As the United Nations, we must
come together to find global solutions to these
challenges and ensure that we work to protect the

7 11-51384

rights of those who are most vulnerable, especially
women and children.
 As a country that derives its livelihood from the
ocean, we are also concerned by the growing threat of
piracy in the Indian Ocean. We will continue to work
with the international community in addressing this
growing menace so as to make our maritime areas safe
for international shipping and trade.
 The Maldives looks forward to a time when every
country will be democratic, every nation will be free
and the values that underpin this great institution can
finally be realized everywhere. Through the institutions
of the United Nations, we look forward to continuing
to promote equity, fairness and the protection of the
most vulnerable, regardless of where they live or what
religion they practise.
 Only through the United Nations can we hope to
forge an agreement that protects our climate — a
prerequisite for all of our future progress and
development. In this volatile and ever-changing world,
there is one institution that provides the stability of
continuity, and that is the United Nations. The United
Nations is more important today than ever before.


I wish, on
behalf of the Government and people of Saint Kitts and
Nevis, to express gratitude for the honour of addressing
the General Assembly. I also extend on their behalf

7 11-51378

sincere congratulations to Mr. Nassir Abdul-Aziz
Al-Nasser on his election to preside over the General
Assembly at its sixty-sixth session. My delegation also
wishes to thank Mr. Joseph Deiss, President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, for his
leadership during a very busy and demanding session.
 Our new President’s tenure coincides with a time
when there is on the Assembly’s agenda a confluence
of global issues with particular relevance for the small
island developing States of the Caribbean.
 Most delegations recently participated, for
example, in the United Nations High-level Meeting on
HIV/AIDS, held in June; the United Nations High-
level Meeting on Youth, held in July; and the United
Nations High-level Meeting on Non-communicable
Diseases, held a few days ago. The convening of those
meetings gives ample acknowledgement of the
challenges that we still face in our relentless pursuit of
a healthier world, and of the pivotal role of health and
social cohesion as vehicles of national and global
development.
 The President has the awesome responsibility of
piloting us through follow-up actions resulting from
those weighty deliberations. My delegation is confident
of his capacity and experience for the required
leadership, and assures him of our fullest support.
 The President has declared as his theme for the
session “The role of mediation in the settlement of
disputes by peaceful means”. Certainly, my delegation
supports the pacific settlement of disputes, and we
likewise acknowledge mediation as a preferred vehicle
in preventing or settling conflicts.
 In this endeavour, our small island Caribbean
States would wish to be engaged in the support
mechanisms in tangible ways, such as are already laid
out in the provisions of such landmark resolutions as
Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), which
addresses the non-proliferation of weapons of mass
destruction.
 The people of my country and my region have
great respect for the idealism that gave birth to this all-
important Organization. Our ideals are indeed
synonymous with those of the United Nations system,
and our expectations are assuredly no less stately than
those of large and powerful nations.
 At a time such as this, the United Nations must
show its unifying character by assuring that all
Member States are equipped to play a role in the
maintenance of international peace and security and in
the building up of one another. We are our brother’s
keeper.
 In today’s global community, we must rely
heavily on collective actions and solid partnerships, if
we are to overcome the many common challenges that
we face. Among those challenges are the misguided or
ill-considered choices that are made by too many of
our youth.
 A critical and defining aspect of my country’s
future, and indeed a prospect that will largely define
tomorrow’s world, is our youth. It is therefore worthy
of mention that youth violence has attained epidemic
proportions in the Caribbean. We appreciate that youth
violence is invariably symptomatic of deeper
individual, community and societal issues, and that a
multisectoral, integrated approach is required to
redress the problem.
 At the national and regional levels, States of the
Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are actively
grappling with this challenge, and we are pleased to
have participated in the discussions on this topic at the
recent High-level Meeting. There is a need, however,
to reinforce the fact that there is a role for United
Nations agencies in supporting our efforts to reverse
the bothersome trend of youth violence, with all its
implications for many critical sectors, including
security, health and development.
 Accordingly, we shall be heightening our
engagement with WHO, UN-HABITAT, UNICEF and
other relevant United Nations and international
development agencies in this endeavour.
 The challenge of youth violence is also linked, to
some extent, to the proliferation of small arms and
light weapons. While my country acknowledges the
strides made in our region with respect to small arms
and light weapons, through the recent adoption of the
CARICOM Declaration on Small Arms and Light
Weapons, there is still a long way to go. It is
imperative, therefore, that we work together to bring a
solution-focused approach to the problem of easy
access to small arms and light weapons in our
countries. CARICOM here calls for an arms trade
treaty.
 Related to this challenge is the issue of human
security and development. My country is committed to

11-51378 8

working diligently at the national and regional levels,
and to collaborating internationally, to improve the
lives of our people.
 Saint Kitts and Nevis is a relatively small
country, and it is usually the small and vulnerable that
are most severely impacted when global shocks and
crises occur. That is why, as a region, we promote
collective action to enhance our resilience, promote
human security, lessen our vulnerability and build
stronger economies.
 Such has been our widely acclaimed best-practice
approach with regard to HIV/AIDS. Saint Kitts and
Nevis applauds the General Assembly for convening
the High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS. The Joint
United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
has collaborated with the Pan Caribbean Partnership
Against HIV and AIDS, in keeping with its
commitment to support countries achieve the
Millennium Development Goals and also in ensuring
that HIV prevention, care, treatment and support
services are provided to all in need.
 The agenda is still a full one and the challenge no
less daunting than it was 10 years ago, in a region with
the second highest global prevalence rate of HIV. We
therefore anticipate and encourage the continued
support of UNAIDS and other health and development
agencies.
 With regard to non-communicable diseases
(NCDs), the Caribbean can be justly proud that the
initiatives in the Port of Spain Declaration of 2007 —
“Uniting to Stop the Epidemic of Chronic NCDs” —
which arose out of the first-ever heads of Government
summit on the subject, has resonated across the globe,
resulting in the just concluded High-level Meeting with
a consensus on launching an international wellness
revolution.
 Non-communicable diseases are to a large extent
preventable. It is therefore essential that the outcome
document from the High-level Meeting mirrors many
of the chief concerns of the Port of Spain Declaration,
aimed at encouraging Governments and the private
sector to collaborate on increasing avenues for
exercise, healthy diets and smoke-free zones for the
benefit of the general public.
 A long-term reduction in the enormous costs of
treating heart failure, diabetes and hypertension, and
the resulting 60 per cent to 70 per cent mortality rates
from NCDs, is worth the investment in protecting
human capital and the development of our various
regions.
 I am extremely proud that the Government of
Saint Kitts and Nevis has the lead responsibility for
human resources, health and HIV/AIDS in the
Caribbean Community, and continues to play a
pioneering role.
 We recognize the urgent need to make good on
pledges resulting from the High-level Meeting, which
can only augur well for a future in which due
recognition must be given to the role of health in
overall development.
 It would be remiss of me not to highlight the
significance of the United Nations Conference on
Sustainable Development. Next June, during this sixty-
sixth session of the General Assembly, all eyes will be
on the Rio deliberations aimed at achieving
convergence on the social, environmental and
economic dimensions of sustainable development. I
fully support the main objective of the Conference,
namely, securing political commitment. That is the
critical factor for success throughout the Rio+20
processes and beyond.
 Saint Kitts and Nevis is one of the small island
developing States (SIDS) referred to in chapter 17 of
Agenda 21. Throughout the past 20 years, the
international community has made tremendous strides
in addressing SIDS challenges to sustainable
development. Regrettably, many an encouraging step
forward has been offset by painful setbacks.
 The effect of climate change is a bane that is felt
on a daily basis in Saint Kitts and Nevis, as in other
islands. The question is no longer “if” and “how”, but
rather “when” and “by how much” we will be affected.
We need desperately to upgrade pre-emptive measures,
to counter the imminent threat of climate change.
 A defined strategy to aggressively promote
climate financing is highly recommended. It will be
vital if our countries are to successfully address the
effects of climate change without tapping into already
limited and depleted resources. My delegation
encourages other Member States to join the call for the
full implementation of climate financing.
 In addition to pursuing outcomes that benefit all
States, my delegation would like to highlight certain
challenges that some members of the international

9 11-51378

community face, with which the General Assembly can
assist. I speak of Haiti, Antigua and Barbuda, Cuba and
Taiwan.
 We must ever remember Haiti, one of the most
populous member States of CARICOM. We should
remain acutely aware of Haiti’s trials and struggles
against natural and man-made catastrophic events,
unsettling social and political vicissitudes and
economic hardships. Their effects have set Haiti many
years behind, compared to the rate of development of
other nations in the region. We therefore encourage the
fulfilling of the many goodwill pledges that have been
made for assistance in its reconstruction efforts.
 Another CARICOM member State, Antigua and
Barbuda, continues to be locked in an underdog
struggle to benefit from its success before the World
Trade Organization Dispute Settlement Body. We again
urge a speedy, fair and just resolution to this gaming
dispute.
 Also within the Caribbean, the people of our
sister nation of Cuba continue to endure much hardship
as the consequence of a 50-year commercial, economic
and financial embargo. The Assembly and the
international community have consistently called for
the lifting of the embargo. Our country reiterates its
call, and the call of regional neighbours and the
international community, particularly the General
Assembly, for a speedy redress of this matter.
 Since 2009, Taiwan has been invited by the World
Health Organization to attend the annual World Health
Assembly (WHA) as an observer. This practice and the
related arrangements have established what has been
termed the WHA model, which sets a useful precedent
for Taiwan’s greater participation in the United Nations
system. It is the view of my country that in today’s
highly integrated and interconnected world almost all
issues demand full participation by, and cooperation
among, international partners. As one of the world’s
leading economic and technological powerhouses,
Taiwan can contribute substantially to the international
community.
 We therefore urge the United Nations to find a
suitable way to allow for Taiwan’s meaningful
participation in its specialized agencies and
mechanisms, including the International Civil Aviation
Organization and the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change.
 I have presented some of the challenges that we
encounter as a country and region, challenges to which
the Assembly has itself given prominence. I have also
given consideration to some of our aspirations for the
sixty-sixth session and beyond. They are issues that
demand collective inputs and interventions.
 We are all part of the global community, and
problems that permeate our tightly woven fabric
invariably spread to affect us all in some way or
another. It is incumbent upon us all, therefore, to
ensure that the results of our collective enterprise and
diligence allow for the realization of our desired goals.
Surely, working together with purpose and integrity
will ensure that we rise on the same tide. Let us rise
together.


Vanuatu joins other
delegations in congratulating you, Mr. President, on
your election to preside over the General Assembly at
its sixty-sixth session. My delegation vows our full
cooperation, and believes that, with your leadership,
we will conclude a successful session.

9 11-51372

 Allow me to also acknowledge the leadership of
your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss, for
his exceptional guidance and for the considerable and
important achievements of the previous Assembly
session.
 In the same spirit, on behalf of my Government, I
take this opportunity to congratulate His Excellency
Ban Ki-moon on his re-election to the post of
Secretary-General and to commend him on his vision,
leadership and tireless efforts in moving towards
achieving the common interests of all humanity.
 I would also like to take this opportunity to
congratulate the Government and the people of the
Republic of South Sudan on the birth of their new
nation on 9 July. Vanuatu recognizes the sovereignty of
South Sudan, and offers the young nation our full
support.
 The theme of this year’s General Assembly
session, “The role of mediation in the settlement of
disputes by peaceful means”, calls for more creative
and feasible peaceful multilateral solutions to many of
our long-standing disputes that, unless resolved
peacefully, will have far more extensive global
consequences. The settlement of disputes by peaceful
means is central to the United Nations system, as
enshrined in the United Nations Charter and in
numerous international conventions and treaties. In that
context, we, like many others, encourage our brothers
and sisters in Israel and Palestine to continue the
peaceful negotiations that will ensure regional and
global stability. We also call upon the United Nations
to visit the framework with which it fulfils its
mediation mandates and to develop closer partnerships
with mediation actors within regional groups. To
succeed as responsible nations of this global village,
we must continue to cultivate an environment that
thwarts the seeds of bitterness, hatred and vengeance.
 In establishing the United Nations in 1945, many
nations, great and small, entrusted it with the
responsibility to assist in maintaining international
peace and security, developing friendly relations
among nations, and promoting social progress, better
living standards and human rights. However, 66 years
after the founding of this multilateral Organization, the
world that we live in is far from the ideals for which its
inception was intended. Across the globe, people from
all walks of life continue to be subject to colonial rule,
death threats, arbitrary detention, torture and worse,
and are killed for exercising their rights to freedom of
expression. Untold crimes against humanity and other
human rights atrocities still continue.
 While we reaffirm our faith in multilateralism,
with the conviction that bilateral diplomacy cannot
substitute for multilateralism, we also believe that our
nations have a greater need of a more robust
multilateral system that is swift and efficient in
responding to the multitude of challenges that members
of this highly esteemed system, acting unilaterally,
would be hard done to defeat. We are delighted to note
that one of the four priorities of the President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session is to
continue the work on the reforms within the United
Nations.
 In that context, this year’s establishment of the
Change Management Team within the Organization, in
particular, is a step in the right direction. That initiative
comes at a time when members of this body are calling
on the United Nations to play a more prominent role in
a period of rapid change and financial restraint in
building a culture of transparency, accountability, good
governance and enhanced democratic participation, and
to achieve efficiency and results.
 As regards the Security Council, Vanuatu is
steadfast in its belief that reform measures must
provide for democratic and geographically strategic
representation in both the permanent and the
non-permanent membership to reflect the realities of
this century. We continue to lend our invaluable
support to the candidacies of the many countries vying
for membership within the non-permanent seat
category of the Security Council. We hope that
sustained reforms will help to boost the Security
Council’s peacekeeping role and to increase efficiency
and transparency in promoting the universal standards
and common values and customs that form the basis of
global security and development. At this juncture, let
me acknowledge the work of the peacekeeping and
nation-building missions of the United Nations in
supporting new countries, such as Timor-Leste, South
Sudan and others, in their nation-building.
 On 9 September 2011, we marked the tenth
anniversary of the twin towers bombing that wreaked
havoc in the city of New York and claimed more than
3,000 lives. Such acts of terrorism can never be
justified, whatever the causes they claim to be

11-51372 10

advancing and to whatever grievances they claim to
respond.
 Despite international efforts to counter terrorism,
major threats remain. Indeed, the world cannot sit idly
by, watching the forces of evil threaten humanity’s
right to peace and security. Terrorism cannot and must
not be allowed to flourish. Vanuatu condemns, in the
strongest possible terms, all forms and manifestations
of terrorism, and calls on all countries to join forces to
fight against its evil ideologies, activities and financing
in order to make the world of tomorrow a safer place.
All countries must work closely in eliminating that
scourge.
 Today, the lack of progress on disarmament and
non-proliferation, cornerstones of global security, is
disturbing. The world’s nuclear Powers must fulfil
their vows to meet their obligations under the Treaty on
the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to take
decisive and practical steps towards irreversible
disarmament. Only then will the proliferation of arms
reverse.
 My people welcome the strenuous efforts of
President Obama and other world leaders, working
together at the vanguard to advance negotiations on
denuclearization. The very recent events in Japan’s
Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster clearly show that
whatever safeguards are in place, there can be no
absolute guarantee that those can withstand the
unforgivable ferocity of Mother Nature. They are
important lessons for us.
 Four years after the global financial crisis began,
in 2007, the economies of many developed countries
continue to struggle, stirring financial markets
worldwide with fresh fears of impediments, default and
possible recession. For small developing countries,
such as Vanuatu, the rise in food prices, high fuel costs,
soaring commodity prices, fears of a global recession,
as well as the other unforeseen effects of the global
financial instability and uncertainty that remain in
many developed countries, are having multifaceted
consequences.
 Such developments, coupled with the ongoing
effects of climate change and natural disasters,
continue to threaten the economies of small island
nations, and to undermine all efforts towards the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to ensure that
sustainable development is achieved.
 Vanuatu has made some progress towards
achieving the MDGs, but much more needs to be done
by pooling our own resources at the national level and
by engaging the international community in
coordinating efforts so as to achieve our MDGs.
 The convening of this year’s thematic group on
non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is indeed timely.
In my country, it is estimated that approximately 75 per
cent of deaths each year are related to NCDs.
Furthermore, the immediate causes of the NCD
epidemic — tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical
inactivity and the harmful use of alcohol — are
becoming increasingly widespread in our society,
especially in urban areas. Those self-inflicted diseases
are, therefore, becoming a major barrier to our socio-
economic development and to achieving healthy
islands and the MDGs.
 At this point in time, my country is undertaking,
for the first time, a national NCD STEPS survey to
determine and to better understand the burden and the
extent of NCDs and their determinants in our
communities so that we can better target our
intervention efforts in future. Early this year, Vanuatu
launched its revised NCD strategy and policy for the
period 2011 to 2016 to guide our implementation
efforts in the coming years. We have also implemented,
over the years, many key NCD strategies to empower
our people to increase control over their health and its
determinants, with the assistance of our development
partners, such as the World Health Organization, the
Australian Agency for International Development and
the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.
 In terms of economic performance, Vanuatu’s
economy grew at an unprecedented average rate of
6 per cent between 2003 and 2008. Economic growth
has since weakened, mainly as a result of exogenous
shocks felt during the ongoing global financial crisis.
That has had a negative impact on Government revenue
in the past few years, adding further strain on the
economy. That said, the need for significant increases
in financial support from development partners remains
pressing. The announcement of a considerable increase
in credit facilities at the Group of Twenty London
summit in 2009 was welcome news. However, the
reassertion of those financial commitments and swift
action need to be rigorously followed up by the donor
community.

11 11-51372

 The previous assessment by the United Nations
Committee for Development Policy of Vanuatu’s
development status as a least developed country has
showed a progressive pace in development. While
graduation may be imminent, I must underscore, before
the Assembly, that most challenges of the small island
developing States are permanent. The challenges of
smallness, the distance to major metropolitan markets,
extreme vulnerability to natural disasters and climate
change, the sea-level rise and vulnerability to tsunamis
all constitute permanent characteristics of our island
nations. It is therefore important for the United Nations
to ensure that multilateral mechanisms for graduation
and a transition package must not be detached from
those permanent realities. We are delighted that the
President of the General Assembly has vowed to pay
special attention to vulnerable States such as ours.
 Climate change and ocean acidification remain
the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security
and well-being of the peoples of the Pacific,
particularly for small low-lying Pacific islands. High
greenhouse gas emitting industrialized countries must
start to embrace and to accept the common but
differentiated responsibilities in historic contributions
to climate change.
 As the former Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum,
I, along with my fellow leaders of the Pacific Island
nations, particularly welcome the historic visit of
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the Pacific. I call
on the United Nations to undertake more senior
missions to the Pacific region so as to establish a more
comprehensive understanding of how susceptible the
people of the Pacific are to the adverse impacts of
climate change and sea-level rise, as embodied by the
case of Kiribati.
 I call on leaders of advanced nations to renew and
honour their pledges to finance, in particular, efforts to
help the most vulnerable communities to address their
adaptation needs in order to ensure that island nations
survive the impending global disaster that climate
change may afford. An increased global fund to
strengthen the capacity-building efforts of vulnerable
communities, in particular, to integrate climate change
into economic policies and actions, is pressing.
 As we prepare for the Conference of the Parties
to the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (COP 17) talks in Durban, my
Government urges all delegations to work tirelessly to
pledge to a second commitment period of the Kyoto
Protocol. Durban must advance all aspects of the
climate change negotiations and devise strategies to
operationalize the COP 16 decisions if any concrete,
balanced and ambitious outcomes are to yield results.
 Colonialism and all forms of imperialism must be
addressed by the United Nations, for one of the reasons
why the United Nations system was created was to
develop friendly relations among nations, based on
respect for the principles of equal rights and the self-
determination of peoples. Therefore, colonial rule is
obsolete and must be addressed with new drive and
vision. The United Nations, as well as the international
community, must continue in their efforts to address
issues of decolonization in those Non-Self-Governing
Territories that still yearn for freedom.
 The mandate of the Special Committee on
Decolonization must be strengthened. All means should
be accorded to the Committee to allow it to magnify
the suppressed voices of the peoples in all Non-Self-
Governing Territories that are still under the control of
administrative Powers, especially where serious human
rights violations are reported.
 My country, Vanuatu, was the last in the Pacific
region to be decolonized. Since our independence in
1980, we have continued to speak out for the
inalienable rights of the colonized indigenous peoples
of Oceania and in certain parts of the Asian region,
where either administrative or colonial Powers still
retain authority.
 My Government also calls upon the United
Nations to ensure that the demands for French
Polynesia’s right to self-determination are not rejected.
We, along with many other Pacific island nations,
support calls for the reinstatement of the French-
administered Territory with the United Nations Special
Committee on Decolonization. That would be the first
major step in the process of their self-determination.
Vanuatu encourages the French-administered Territory
of French Polynesia and, in the same spirit, that of
New Caledonia to continue to seek meaningful
dialogue with France in order to find ways to ensure
that the freedom of the colonized peoples of Oceania is
fully realized.
 Enshrined in the core principles of the United
Nations Charter, the Organization must guarantee
universal respect for the human rights and fundamental
freedoms of all the oppressed. The universal pursuit of

11-51372 12

democratic reform, good governance and adherence to
human rights conventions have often concealed the
suffering of many people, denying them their right to
decide their destiny without fear or reprisal. The
United Nations must step up its efforts to exercise their
freedom from the tentacles of foreign rule, so
troublesome a misgiving in these modern times.
 One day, all the indigenous peoples of Oceania
and beyond must reach their goal of freedom, a
destination promised to all humanity and a right that
the Creator endowed upon all peoples and that no
earthly Power can deny, to determine where they live
and to be self-ruled in free association with the
international community of nations.
 Let me take this opportunity once again to
reiterate to this eminent Assembly our serious concerns
over the infringement by foreign forces on the political
freedom of many of our nations today, a right denied to
the people of the land to exercise their freedom to
control their lands, a freedom denied by the injustices
of the global world order that demarcated many of our
lands, dividing peoples, families and cultures and
disconnecting us from the traditions of our ancestors.
Denying the right of a country to exercise its political
freedom over its maritime territorial boundaries and
preventing the indigenous people of a country from
exercising their culture and traditional linkages with
integral part of its lands, sovereign since time
immemorial, remain one of the greatest crimes of our
times. We are therefore calling on the United Nations
to ensure that our fundamental rights can be exercised
in all parts of our territory.
 As the world unites in addressing some of the
major challenges of our times, the lifting of the
economic embargo on Cuba is long overdue. Denying
the good people of Cuba from fully participating in the
global economy is inhumane. T is high time that the
Cuban people be allowed to enjoy their rights and
freedom as an independent and sovereign nation.
 It is time that we all revisit the aspirations and the
ideals with which the United Nations system was
created and join forces to weed out injustice,
colonialism, poverty, hunger, war crimes, terrorism and
the like in the hope of creating a peaceful and secure
world for generations to come. All nations, great and
small, must respect each other’s sovereignty, for that is
the way to achieve trust and to ensure a dignified
confidence among all friends gathered around the table
of the United Nations.
 I also welcome Fiji’s commitment to full and
democratic elections by September 2014. As a Pacific
neighbour, such as announcement is timely.
 In conclusion, I wish to take this final
opportunity to express my gratitude to Vanuatu’s
development partners for the support that they provide
in building our economy. I believe that more can be
done to help small vulnerable island countries like
Vanuatu to address the rising challenges confronting
them.
 Leaders of the world, the resounding echoes of
history drum in our ears and remind us of what must be
done tomorrow. The global forces driving the changes
that will shape our future must beckon towards a world
where people of all races, ethnicities, creeds, beliefs,
faiths, cultures, traditions and origins can live in
harmony and peace, as brothers and sisters.