I am once again participating in the regular session of the General Assembly to reaffirm our respect, admiration and congratulations to our brother, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his contribution to the life of the peoples of the world and of Mother Earth. We appreciate and express our deep respect for his work as Secretary-General of the United Nations. I am also here to reiterate that we are living in a time of renewed global obscurantism, spurred by the capitalist and imperialist barbarism that is killing human dignity, the integrity of our common home, Mother Earth, and the sovereignty of our countries.
Mr. Sogavare (Solomon Islands), Vice-President, took the Chair.
Today, according to United Nations data, some 94 per cent of the world’s wealth is in the hands of a mere 20 per cent of the global population. More than 800 million people in the world are suffering from hunger. This grim social reality is the true face of capitalism. Humankind’s main goals during this century should be to eradicate capitalism and imperialism as the prevailing societal model. If we do not build another model of society as soon as possible, the Sustainable Development Goals will be replaced with the sustainable goals of death for all living things and Mother Earth.
This year has been the hottest in the history of the planet, and each year is hotter than the previous one. This year, Bolivia is also experiencing one of the worst droughts in history. We have to be alert and take immediate action to prevent the barbarism of capitalism from transforming the Paris Agreement into an agreement of lies and blackmail.
The capitalist countries have built borders and walls everywhere — on water, on land and in the air. One out of every 100 people in the world is either a refugee or someone displaced by global warming, wars or imperialist invasions, as occurred in Syria, Iraq, Libya and other countries. We hope that all of the world’s peoples can start building universal citizenship and one great country where people live in harmony and as part of a common family.
The expansionist and warmongering policies of the State of Israel and its allies are major expressions of barbarism in the modern world. We strongly condemn Israel’s attacks on the civilian population of Palestine and demand that Israel cease hostilities immediately. We urge the United Nations to fully and immediately recognize the State of Palestine and take tangible action to stop the brutal genocide of the Palestinian people.
We return to the General Assembly to express our strong rejection of the coercive and unilateral economic measures imposed by the United States against Cuba for political reasons. It is not sufficient to restore diplomatic relations. The United States must compensate Cuba for the economic blockade and restore Guantanamo to Cuban territorial sovereignty.
We commend the signing of the peace agreement between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. It shows that we are fulfilling the promise of membership in the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States — to make our region a zone of peace. We must never forget that peace can be achieved only with social justice. We highlight and admire Cuba’s leadership in facilitating the peace agreement.
We lament the fact that other Governments, such as that of the United States, perpetrate attacks, such as the most recent bombing of military positions in Syria, which left dozens of soldiers dead or wounded. It shows the hypocrisy and the ongoing non-compliance with the commitments they undertook in the Syrian ceasefire agreement, announced by Russia and the United States on 9 September in Geneva.
We condemn terrorism, violence and war, but in order to eliminate terrorism, we must attack the root causes of this scourge for humankind. It must be said that as long as wealth remains in the hands of a few, as long as poverty and exclusion exist, as long as racism and discrimination persist, as long as the identity and the sovereignty of peoples are not respected and their natural resources are pillaged for imperialist purposes, there will be grounds for violence and terrorism. We must build a world of peace and equality with dignity and brotherhood among peoples.
Many brother countries have been affected by the global economic crisis. In Bolivia, however, we have developed policies and are taking measures to deal with the repercussions of the global crisis in the capitalist system. Bolivia is leading economic growth in South America, as it is one of the countries that has achieved complementarity among economic growth, distribution of wealth, public investment and a significant reduction in poverty while expanding equality. None of this would have been possible without the sovereign measures it has taken, such as the nationalization of our natural resources and strategic companies.
Imperialist interests are creating a process of political destabilization in our region. We condemn foreign political intervention in our brother country of Venezuela. We salute the revolutionary fight of the people, undertaken with their leader, Commander Maduro. The new imperial conspiracy in the twenty- first century is no longer through coups d’état but rather through parliamentary or judicial takeovers. They may be legal and constitutional, but they are not legitimate, nor do they respect the decisions of the people.
We express our deep concern about and rejection of the actions taken by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), which are in breach of the basic principles of the United Nations. The Organization of American States needs to be a true representation of the all the countries of the Americas, and not an agent or mouthpiece for the interests of the United States. We do not need an imperial leader to control our people. If the OAS does not represent or respect, the sovereignty of its member States, it would be better if it did not exist at all.
Last week, on 18 September, the Heads of State and Government of the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement met on Margarita Island, Venezuela, and strongly condemned action taken by the United States of America relative to its Transnational Drug Trafficking Act of 2015, which involves implementing extraterritorial measures that violate the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. I take this opportunity to inform members of the Assembly that Bolivia, without military bases or the presence of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), is now faring better in the fight against drug trafficking, and this fact has been recognized by the United Nations.
I also note that thanks to a few police officers of our armed forces, we learned the following: when the DEA was in Bolivia, when it seized drugs, 50 per cent were burned and 50 per cent went to DEA for trade. A Bolivian officer inquired about the latter 50 per cent, and the response was that the DEA used the money to pay off our police. Investigations that were conducted proved that the DEA was training police and military personnel to plan the assassination of leaders. For these reasons and many more, I would like to tell those present in this Hall today that terrorism and drug trafficking are twins that serve the imperial interests of the United States, which seeks to invade and control other countries around the world — I am completely convinced of this.
Furthermore, I recall that in 1879, the Bolivian coast was invaded by Chilean and English transnational military forces with a view to taking the substantial natural resources there by force. For more than a century, Chile has expressly and repeatedly rejected the pressing need for Bolivia to once again be a coastal country, and it has undertaken to negotiate with Bolivia the restitution of maritime access.
Bolivia has relied in good faith on all the legal commitments undertaken, which served as the basis of our claim brought before the International Court of Justice. The Court declared its jurisdiction over the matter on 24 September 2015, after the Government of Chile presented an objection regarding said jurisdiction. We understand that these are times of dialogue, that we must work together on solutions that will allow us to resolve pending matters peacefully and with the full involvement of the people. We invite Chile to put an end to one of the longest-lasting conflicts in the history of Latin America, whose solution continues to be an outstanding debt between our nations. The solution to the conflict will benefit not only Bolivia but Chile and the integration of Latin America as a whole. We are certain that we will find a solution whereby everyone is a winner.
I would like to thank the organizations of the international community and the various presidents, former presidents and peoples of the world for their ongoing support for Bolivia to regain sovereign access to the sea. I would also like to highlight the fact that the United Nations created an institution of such importance, the International Court of Justice, so that international conflicts and controversies could be resolved peacefully. We trust that the Court will serve justice.
Our greatest wish is to see the message of Pope Francis become reality — to establish channels of dialogue and tear down the walls that divide us. We want to launch a dialogue that satisfies the mutual interests of our countries. In Bolivia, we are building a country that will be an exemplar of equality, liberty with dignity, and sovereignty for the world. For these reasons, we insist and will continue to insist that all basic services must be recognized as human rights, and that, further, we recognize and respect the rights of Mother Earth. The new world order with social justice must be built on the foundation of fraternity among nations and harmony with Mother Earth for the well- being of all of us.


In taking the floor at the General Assembly on behalf of His Excellency Mr. Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, I would like first to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson for his fitting election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I wish him every success as he carries out his functions. I also extend my congratulations to His Excellency Mr. Mogens Lykketoft, the outgoing President, for all the innovations introduced to the Assembly and for his work in general. In particular, I would like to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, who is attending the general debate of the General Assembly for the last time as Secretary-General. I thank him for his contribution to conflict resolution in the world and his 10 years of service to humankind. I wish him every success in his future endeavours.
Today the world is witnessing an overwhelming and unrelenting wave of migrants fleeing conflict areas, particularly in Iraq and Syria — as well as from Africa to Europe — trying to find a safe and quiet place to live. Terrorism continues to leave innocent victims in its wake in every region, thereby constituting a real threat to the well-being and development of humankind. Political instability is endangering the lives of thousands of human beings in many countries. The economic crisis is becoming increasingly worse and more unpredictable, thus negatively affecting the growth and social and economic development of our countries. The crisis is having particularly strong impacts on developing countries, where there are still communities that suffer from hunger, malnutrition and extreme poverty. In a world as complicated and complex as ours is today, the role of the United Nations is more essential than ever.
Therefore, united, we must bring about true democracy within our Organization. United, we must protect our planet for the sake of our offspring. United, we must respect and help one another. United, we must give priority to human values, not only in terms of respect of human rights but also in terms of respect for the rights of humankind. As such, we will be able to strengthen our United Nations and ensure a better future for generations to come. As policymakers we run the risk of incurring our collective historical condemnation if our ambition and sense of superiority continue to lead us down the path of destroying our own human species, polluting our planet and shattering the foundations of peaceful coexistence, to which future generations are entitled.
By 2030, the States Members of the United Nations should have transformed the lives of all and conserved our planet. That is the goal and commitment that the leaders of our Organization undertook at the seventieth session of the General Assembly in September 2015 by adopting the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets. Indeed, there is an urgent need to achieve the Goals, each and every one of which is necessary and essential for the development of a decent life for every human being.
The Common African Position on the post- 2015 development agenda has been very useful in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. It identifies substantive issues of importance for Africa, which were the basis of a consensus on the priorities, concerns and strategies of Africa that was reflected in the outcome of the negotiation process of the 2030 Agenda.
With regard to progress made in the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, I am pleased to inform the Assembly that, in keeping with its ambition to become an emerging country by 2020, the Government of Equatorial Guinea has fully integrated the Sustainable Development Goals into its Horizon 2020 programme. With the programme, the Government is giving priority to its economic and social transformation through developing human capital and inclusive and sustainable growth. In recent years, important progress has been made in all sectors.
In the health-care sector, the World Health Organization has qualified Equatorial Guinea as one of the few countries in the region that has been able to considerably reduce the risks leading to maternal and infant mortality during pregnancy and childbirth, thanks to the practice of preventive medicine and free vaccinations. Children, pregnant women and the elderly receive free health services and equal access to drugs.
In the economic arena, Equatorial Guinea is focusing on diversifying its productive sector, thereby creating jobs for youth in such areas as industrial fishing, agriculture and hydrocarbon exports, all of which is aimed at improving the quality of life of the people. Through a programme of water, electricity and health care for all, citizens throughout the country have access to drinking water, electricity and health services.
At the international level, we would point out the Government of Equatorial Guinea’s donations to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to fight hunger on the African continent and its donations to the World Health Organization to fight the Ebola pandemic and improve the health of the victims in the most affected countries.
As the General Assembly can see, although much remains to be done, the Government of Equatorial Guinea has made great strides in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, in part thanks to the good use of resources from the hydrocarbons sector, which is the main source of income for its economy.
In tandem with the implementation of the Development Goals, we note that many citizens of countries in our Organization continue to live in insecurity and fear and under threat. The refugee crisis requires a new approach. We value and commend the decision adopted by the Governments of several Western African and other countries to receive and help the refugees start a new life.
As the Assembly will recall, on 3 September 2015, the photos of young Aylan Kurdi, only 3 years old, who died on the sands of a Turkish beach after drowning — may God rest his soul — moved us all and appealed to our deepest human feelings. A 13-year-old Syrian immigrant also appealed to us when he appeared before the microphones of the international press and said,
“Please help the Syrians. We do not want to stay in Europe. Stop the war in Syria, and you will not see us here”.
We believe that the statement made by the young Syrian must give us new direction in our efforts towards confronting the migration crisis that we are experiencing today. We recognize that the policy of partnering with one of the belligerent parties and supplying them with weapons can only lead to death, suffering, destruction and the attendant migrant and refugee crisis. That policy has caused many years of suffering in so many countries that were once stable and peaceful models of coexistence but are now experiencing the worst human tragedy in their history.
We must again choose the path of dialogue, rather than that of weapons procurement. We must put an end to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. We must resolve conflicts by other means and promote a culture of peace, not of violent confrontation. When any person suffers, it concerns us all. When one nation is at war, we are all at war and there is no peace.
As President John F. Kennedy stated in his commencement speech at American University, on 10 June 1963,
“[G]enuine peace [is] the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living — the kind that enables man and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children ... not merely peace for [some] but peace for all men and women, not merely peace in our time but peace for all time ...
“For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children’s future. And we are all mortal.”
I am the representative of a country that aspires to a seat in the Security Council within two years. Since our accession to national independence on 12 October 1968, almost 48 years ago, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea has not yet had the privilege of membership of the Security Council. Duly endorsed by the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held in Johannesburg in July 2015, our country became, for the first time, a candidate for non-permanent membership of the Security Council for the 2018-2019 term. The election will be held in June 2017. From this rostrum, the Government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea requests the determined support of all States Members of the United Nations for our candidacy. The Government of Equatorial Guinea pledges to live up to the task and to work for a more just, more humane and more peaceful world.
With respect to reforms that are absolutely necessary for the United Nations, we regret to note that, 71 years after the United Nations was established, Africa continues to lack permanent representation at the highest level of the Organization. Seventy-one years later, Africa continues to be denied the right to a voice, vote and veto among the group of permanent members of the Security Council. That is not fair for a continent that comprises 54 Member States, a population of 1.1 billion people and whose issues constitute the majority of the topics discussed in the Council.
I cannot conclude without congratulating, once again, the Government of the United States of America for the major step taken in restoring dialogue with the Republic of Cuba. We therefore call on the Government and the people of the United States of America to finally and definitively lift the embargo against the Cuban people, to enable that country to have the means to fully participate in the national and multinational implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The foregoing is the message entrusted to me by His Excellency Obiang Nguema Mbasogo for delivery to the General Assembly, to which I offer my best wishes for success in its work to achieve a more peaceful, more humane and more democratic world. May God bless the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and may God bless the United Nations.


I would like to congratulate Mr. Peter Thomson and his friendly country, Fiji, on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. I wish him every success during his presidency, which he has promised would be one for the whole Assembly. Such a promise, if kept, would strengthen the neutral role of the President of the General Assembly and shed a bright light on facts that some are trying to conceal.
As we meet once again, our world is going through a grave and dangerous period. Terrorism, which we have cautioned against repeatedly from this very rostrum, has continued to grow and gain ground, claiming the lives of more innocent people and causing death and destruction as it rages unabated across the world. The blood of Syrians was not enough to quench its thirst. It had to go after the citizens of many other countries, including those that have supported and sponsored it. These innocent people are now paying for the mistakes of their Governments, which have ignored the interests of their people and adopted short-sighted policies.
For more than five years, the Syrian people — no matter their affiliations — have paid dearly for the crimes of terrorists who have shed their blood and undermined their security, stability and livelihoods. Terrorism has spared no one, even targeting schools and universities, hospitals, places of worship and infrastructure. Everyone knows that terrorism would not have spread through my country if it had not been for the external support of certain countries. As is no longer a secret, these have included Qatar and Saudi Arabia, which have promoted their jihadist takfiri ideology and their death fatwas that have nothing to do with Islam. They have bragged about supporting terrorism in every way possible, sending into Syria thousands of mercenaries equipped with the most sophisticated weapons.
Meanwhile, Turkey has opened its border to admit tens of thousands of terrorists from around the world and has provided them with logistical support and training camps under the supervision of Turkish and Western intelligence. It has even supplied those terrorists with direct military support, as was the case in Idlib, Aleppo and rural Latakia. I would like to refer the Assembly to a study published seven months ago by a German institute, the Firil Center For Studies. According to that study, more than 360,000 foreign terrorists from 83 countries have entered Syria since April 2011. By the end of 2015, the Syrian Army was able to kill 95,000 of them, while 120,000 returned home or travelled to other countries.
In Syria, we are combating terrorism on behalf of the entire world. Every time the Syrian Army kills another foreign terrorist, it spares the lives of the innocent people who could have died in terrorist acts committed by that same terrorist upon his return to his native country. Anyone who tries to distort that fact must be held responsible for the spread of terrorism and the increasing numbers of victims. Our valiant Army deserves to be commended and supported. It must never be the target of schemes and lies.
The terrorist campaign against my country is taking place in the full view of a polarized world. There are those who have chosen to support international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, while others have decided to turn a blind eye to the truth and to support, finance and arm terrorists under false pretexts that depart from logic and reason. They choose, for example, to refer to those terrorists as moderate armed opposition, even though there is irrefutable evidence that the groups have committed against Syrians crimes and massacres that are no less barbaric than those of Da’esh or A1-Qaida. Some consider people who take up arms against the State and its citizens legitimate opposition as long as they are located in Syria, while the same people, on any other day and in another country, would be considered terrorists, or at least outlaws.
These facts notwithstanding, all Syrians — the people, the Army and the Government — will not relent in their fight against terrorism. They are more determined than ever before to eliminate terrorism wherever it exists in their country and to rebuild a better Syria, because they are well aware that their homeland will cease to exist if the terrorists and their backers emerge victorious. Our belief in victory is even greater now that the Syrian Army is making considerable strides in its war against terrorism, with the support of the true friends of the Syrian people, notably the Russian Federation, Iran and the Lebanese national resistance. Such support has helped to strengthen the resilience of Syrians and to alleviate their suffering. We truly hope that other countries will soon wake up and realize, before it is too late, the danger that threatens us all.
We have always welcomed all international efforts to counter terrorism in Syria, but we stress once again the need to coordinate such efforts with the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic and the Syrian Arab Army that has been combating terrorism on the ground for more than five years. Without such coordination, any action would be considered a breach of sovereignty, a flagrant interference and a violation of the purposes and principles of the Charter. Without such coordination, any action will fall short of achieving real results and will even make matters worse.
In that regard, the Syrian Government condemns in the strongest possible terms the attack launched by American warplanes on a Syrian Army site in the vicinity of the Deir ez-Zor airport on 17 September. That attack allowed ISIL to gain control of the site. The Syrian Government holds the United States fully responsible for that aggression, because facts show that it was an intentional attack, and not an error, even if the United States claims otherwise. This cowardly aggression clearly proves that the United States and its allies are complicit with Da’esh and other terrorist armed organizations.
We also reiterate our condemnation of the Turkish incursion into Syrian territories under the pretext of countering terrorism. That flagrant aggression must be stopped immediately. Terrorism cannot be fought by replacing one terrorist organization with another. One cannot but wonder how a State that has been the main entry point for terrorists and weapons into Syria can claim to be fighting terrorism. How can there be genuine and effective international counter-terrorism cooperation while relevant Security Council resolutions remain dead letters?
Since the onset of the crisis in 2011, the Syrian Government has declared that any solution must follow two parallel tracks: a counter-terrorism track, and a political track through an intra-Syrian dialogue that allows Syrians to determine the future of their country without foreign interference. All solutions dictated from the outside are categorically rejected by the Syrian people. Likewise, no political solution will succeed unless the necessary foundations and conditions for its implementation have been laid, including intensified counter-terrorism efforts and progress in the national reconciliation process — a strategy which has proved successful in a number of areas around Syria.
Despite all the hurdles created by the regional and Western States that have sided with the self-proclaimed Syrian opposition, we have always been open to a political track that would stem the bloodshed and end the prolonged suffering of Syrians. We reiterate our commitment to moving forward on the Geneva track, under the auspices of the United Nations. We recall our constructive position with regard to the political solution. Such a solution must be based on respect for the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Syria and the unity of its people. It should begin by establishing a government of national unity comprising representatives from the Government and the opposition, in all its factions, and tasked with establishing a constitution-drafting committee. Once the new Constitution had been approved by Syrians through a referendum, parliamentary elections would follow and the new Government would be formed under the new Constitution.
It is truly regrettable that some are exploiting the humanitarian tragedy and suffering of Syrians, especially in terrorist-held areas, and politicizing such suffering to achieve certain goals that have nothing to do with humanitarian principles or the interests of the Syrians themselves. Some countries continue to shed crocodile tears over the situation of the Syrians in some areas, accusing the Syrian Government of employing a policy of sieges and starvation. At the same time, the same countries continue to support and arm the terrorists who are besieging civilians in the same areas, from the inside, using them as human shields and preventing the delivery of or confiscating humanitarian aid.
Make no mistake — no one is more committed than the Syrian Government to ending the suffering of the Syrian people and providing them with a life of dignity, wherever they may be and without exception. That is a duty and not a favour. We will spare no effort to that end, including in cooperation with the United Nations, despite all the difficulties that we are facing as a result of the systematic destruction by externally supported terrorist organizations, and despite the unilateral coercive economic and financial measures imposed on the Syrian people by the very parties that falsely claim to have the interests of the Syrian people in mind. Such unilateral measures have adversely affected many vital sectors, including health care, education and energy.
Today, while Syria is confronting mercenary terrorists on its territory, it has long confronted a different kind of terrorism — the terrorism of Israel, which has occupied a precious part of its land in the Syrian Golan since 4 June 1967. Our Syrian Arab people in the occupied Golan continue to suffer as a result of Israel’s oppressive and aggressive practices. Those practices are no longer confined to the occupied Golan but are currently affecting the security and life of Syrians in the southern part of the country. Israel is directly intervening militarily to assist the terrorist organizations operating in the area in every way. Syria calls on the international community to put an effective end to all such practices and compel Israel to implement the relevant United Nations resolutions, particularly Security Council resolution 497 (1981) on the occupied Syrian Golan.
The United Nations should also compel Israel to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their inalienable rights, including the establishment of their own independent State, with Jerusalem as its capital, and the return of Palestinian refugees to their land, in accordance with internationally recognized resolutions.
Syria reaffirms that Israel’s aggressive policies threaten not only Syria, but the region in general, especially given Israel’s nuclear arsenal. We have stressed time and again the need to compel Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and other treaties on weapons of mass destructon (WMDs) and to subject its nuclear installations to the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Syria stresses the right of States to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. We have always called for creating a WMD-free zone in the Middle East. In fact, we have efficiently and responsibly eliminated all chemical weapons in Syria, in cooperation with the Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations. In that regard, Syria reiterates its readiness to continue its cooperation with the Joint Investigative Mechanism, as well as to continue the relevant Syrian investigations.
We congratulate Cuba and Iran on reaching agreements to lift the embargoes imposed on them, and we look forward to their implementation. We renew our call for removing the illegal economic measures imposed on the Syrian people and other independent peoples in the world, notably the peoples of the Democratic Republic of Korea, Venezuela and Belarus.
In closing, we wish Member States and their peoples lasting security and prosperity. We hope that our Organization will be able to regain public trust around the world by upholding the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations, which calls for respecting the sovereignty and independence of Member States and ensuring non-interference in their internal affairs. That principle, if implemented, would lay the foundations for genuine and fair relations among nations after the greed and arrogance of some have shaken them to their core.


I wish to congratulate Mr. Peter Thomson on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. He may rest assured of Indonesia’s commitment to contributing to his successful tenure at the helm of the General Assembly.
The theme of the general debate — “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world” — is appropriate as we move forward with our shared commitment to maintaining and building on the momentum that we achieved last year. Indonesia attaches great priority to the issue of development, particularly sustainable development. Through the commitments and the setting of global targets in the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), the world has made considerable progress in achieving development for all. The MDGs have been an important guide for countries to eradicate poverty. The time frame for their realization added a much-needed sense of urgency for the global community.
Today we have a new set of global goals and time frames. The transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a comprehensive global framework for sustainable development for us at the national level and for the international community to act as one. The issues the Agenda addresses are broader than those covered by the MDGs. The Agenda reflects the challenges faced by countries at a national level, while simultaneously committing the international community to addressing global challenges.
Indonesia is fully committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda. We have taken concrete measures such as mainstreaming the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into our national development plan; finalizing legal and institutional frameworks for national implementation, while engaging all stakeholders, including local Governments, academia, civil-society and philanthropic organizations; and developing national and sub-national action plan guidelines, the SDGs database and monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms.
However, the implementation of the MDGs had taught us an important lesson, namely, that national commitments need to be complemented by strong and robust international cooperation. In that regard, the implementation of the 2030 Agenda must be supported by organizing a strong global partnership, one that makes a transformative difference to the efforts to advance sustainable development. The global community must also provide sufficient means for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Such means include stable and predictable funding mechanisms and innovative approaches for financing development.
If we are to achieve our 2030 Agenda, we need an enabling environment. I am sure that we are all familiar with the phrase “peace is a prerequisite
for development”. Basically, the phrase means that without peace, security and stability there can be no development. From our experience in the 1950s and 1960s, Indonesia can attest to the statement’s veracity. Internal conflict and regional strife with our neighbours turned Indonesia’s focus away from development.
Today we are seeing much of the same in many parts of the world. A lack of peace, security and stability have resulted in far too many of our brothers and sisters having to struggle for their basic survival, sometimes in unimaginable and inhumane conditions. Increased tension between countries and unresolved territorial disputes, if left unrestrained, all increase the risk of open conflicts.
Real and constant threats from terrorism, extremism and radicalism continue to haunt us. A divisive “us versus them” mindset is giving rise to racial prejudice, stigmatization and religious intolerance. The long list of non-traditional challenges that profoundly affect humankind continues to grow, ranging from illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing to drug trafficking, and from people smuggling and trafficking to cybercrime.
In addition, we continue to helplessly watch the suffering of the Palestinian people. Despite the overwhelming support for a two-State solution, the Middle East peace process remains resistant to moving into gear. Unprecedented humanitarian challenges, such as the phenomenon of refugees and irregular migration, resulting from the situation in Syria, Yemen, Iraq and other parts of the world, continue. Almost daily, we must confront a 24-hour news cycle, with the networks presenting us with images of world’s stark reality — the blood, tears and vacant stares of the most vulnerable, our children.
All of that is taking place against the backdrop of a slowing global economy. The World Bank has downgraded the global economic growth forecast from 2.9 per cent to 2.4 per cent. The gap between rich and poor is increasingly widening. At the same time, environmental degradation and climate change continue to accelerate, directly affecting island States and the most vulnerable countries.
All those critical challenges must be seen for what they are — global and massive challenges. In the face of these great challenges, it is our commitment and our efforts that will prevail. No one country or region alone can resolve these challenges. What we need are global solutions, global partnerships and global solidarity. More than ever before, we need the United Nations — an Organization that is at the centre of our global governance, an Organization that is transparent, effective, accountable, efficient and representative.
In that regard, United Nations reform is key to making the Organization stronger and more relevant to confronting the challenges and reality of the twenty- first century, and to eliminating the silo mentality that characterizes the way in which the Secretariat carries out its work. There have been too many important players left out of the United Nations decision-making processes, too many instances where the principles of democracy are put aside. Too often the decisions made at the United Nations differ from what is needed on the ground. We need to mainstream the SDGs and their related targets, as well as such universal principles as human rights, in all activities and work of the committees, agencies and related bodies within the United Nations system. Most important, Member States must also adapt to the new realities and challenges facing the Organization. We need to embrace new methods of work that would safeguard such important targets as the successful implementation of the SDGs.
Indonesia is a true advocate of multilateralism. It is inherent in our DNA, in the founding of our nation and in our Constitution. We are a nation with the world’s fourth-largest population and its largest Muslim population. We are also the world’s third-largest democracy. Ours is a country where democracy, Islam, modernity and the empowerment of women go hand in hand. We are at the forefront of promoting democracy, tolerance, pluralism and peace.
Our nation is made up of thousands of islands, both large and small, and therefore we fully understand the impacts of climate change. Most important, ours is a nation that respects and fully adheres to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations in its foreign relations. Those traits have allowed Indonesia to play a contributing role in various United Nations collective efforts.
In the areas of peace and security, Indonesia remains steadfastly committed to increasing its contribution to United Nations peacekeeping, with a target of providing 4,000 personnel by 2019. Our “Roadmap Vision 4,000 Peacekeepers” initiative has motivated us to work unflaggingly to strengthen United Nations peacekeeping operations, while we remain mindful of the fact that contributions to peacekeeping operations are not merely about numbers. Indonesia’s cooperation and efforts in countering terrorism have also been enhanced both regionally and globally.
We continue to demonstrate our pioneering role in combating climate change through mitigation and adaptation efforts and in addressing ocean and maritime issues. We signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and are on schedule to conclude the ratification process in due course. Indonesia is also committed to the global efforts to promote and protect human rights. At the regional level, we continue to maintain stability and prosperity through active regional cooperation, as demonstrated by our participation in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as through knowledge-sharing in our South-South and triangular cooperation.
Against that backdrop, allow me to take this opportunity to announce Indonesia’s candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the period 2019-2020. Indonesia’s practices, commitment and contribution to the United Nations make it a true partner for world peace. Indonesia recognizes that our journey to 2030 may not always be smooth sailing. Addressing the realities of our world today cannot wait for perfect conditions. We must strengthen our commitment to ramping up concrete efforts aimed at creating an environment conducive to widespread progress, thereby ensuring a better tomorrow.
Lasting peace is not merely a goal — it is the determining factor for meaningful development. Indonesia remains steadfast in its commitment to being at the forefront of global partnerships for world peace and prosperity for all. We will always endeavour to spearhead efforts to work together towards creating a stronger, more representative and democratic United Nations.


I bring warm and fraternal greetings from His Majesty King Mswati III, Head of State and iNgwenyama of the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Queen Mother Indlovukati and the entire Swazi nation. His Majesty would have loved to join everyone for this eminent occasion. However, owing to other pressing engagements, he has delegated me to represent him and deliver the national statement of the Kingdom of Eswatini. Our Kingdom is committed to contributing to global issues that affect humankind in the universe.
Allow me to express our sincere congratulations to the President on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session and to commend the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, outgoing Secretary-General, who has performed a sterling job as leader of the Organization for the past 10 years. We also congratulate the United Nations staff for the remarkable work that they do in many parts of the world, in which they promote peace and create a conducive environment for humankind to live in, sometimes under very difficult situations.
The theme of this session — “The Sustainable Development Goals: a universal push to transform our world” — calls upon all of us to contribute to the development of our respective countries and continents. This theme is indeed a cross-cutting subject that covers every aspect of life. We are pleased to inform the General Assembly that the Kingdom has done a lot to mainstream and popularize the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through public-awareness campaigns, education and training at all levels. The Kingdom of Eswatini has also integrated the Goals into the national development framework. Furthermore, appropriate institutional arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the implementation of the Goals is properly monitored at all levels.
Both the executive and legislative arms of Government are fully involved, and the progress achieved is periodically reported to the Cabinet and Parliament. Our purpose is to achieve all-inclusiveness in the implementation of the SDGs. In that way, we seek to infuse the spirit of ownership into every citizen, so that they understand and appreciate the importance of the SDGs and why they need to participate in the implementation of the Goals, because we do not want to leave anyone behind.
It is important to underline that the implementation process is at its infancy stage. Furthermore, as expected, the process is faced with teething challenges owing to limited human, technological and financial resources, to name but a few.
The Government has translated the national vision, Vision 2022, into practical and feasible targets to expedite economic growth and focus the country’s efforts on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. We have established procedures for tracking progress in the attainment of first-world status. The indicators set cover eight focal areas: economic prosperity, education, health care, service delivery, infrastructure, agricultural and environmental sustainability, governance and corruption.
It is against that backdrop that we have revised the national development strategy with a view to emphasizing linkages between the national development agenda, the SDGs and the African Union’s Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want. For example, education and training are aligned to Sustainable Development Goals 1, 4, and 5. That thematic area is also linked to goals 1, 2, and 18 of Agenda 2063. The country will improve the quality of education by enacting policies that will revolutionize the education system in the Kingdom. The State will direct efforts towards the introduction of science, technology and innovation, as well as the redesign and presentation of technical and vocational training and education in entrepreneurship at the primary-school level so as to inculcate a culture of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship at a tender age.
Health care is one of our top national priorities, which is in line with thematic area 4, which focuses on good health. And that thematic area links directly to goals 1 and 3 of Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals 1, 2, 3, and 6. Under that thematic area, the strategies prioritized for the country’s health sector include promoting health throughout one’s life, disease prevention, prompt and efficient management of medical and related conditions, rehabilitation and influencing health-related activities in the relevant primary sectors. The country will specifically strengthen health-care financing and investment and fast-track the establishment of a national health- insurance system to ensure the equity, efficiency and effectiveness in the provision of health services.
Under thematic area 5, the country has prioritized the construction of infrastructure, which will ultimately eradicate the hurdles associated with being a landlocked country. To that end, the Government has prioritized road construction and the maintenance of roads and buildings, civil aviation, sustainable energy, research and technology development, safe water supply and sanitation, water-resource development, housing and human settlements, communications, the environment, climate change and disaster management. Those priorities of the Government of Swaziland link to goals 7 and 10 of Agenda 2063 and SDGs 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15.
Furthermore, the country will increase its rail network from 300 to 429 kilometres, as well as establish a rail-safety regulator, and will further explore the possibility of making rail transportation competitive with road transport.
The Kingdom of eSwatini will continue with the implementations of such programmes, as they are key to our development agenda.
We have also made significant improvements in a variety of sectors, but other challenges are reversing the gains we have made in past years, particularly with the issues of HIV/AIDS and climate change, which are among the plethora of challenges that we face as a developing nation.
The Kingdom is committed to addressing the scourge of climate change. The country fully participated in all the negotiations that culminated in the adoption and subsequent signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The negative impact of climate change has become a thorn in the side of the eSwatini economy. It has depleted our limited financial resources, killed an alarming number of our livestock and destroyed most of our ecosystems. The drought has led to a serious reduction in the water
16-29811 13/52 supply, which is required for crop production, human use and consumption, the sustenance of remaining livestock and for slowing or stopping the disappearance of ecosystems. The drought has exacerbated food and nutrition insecurity for many of our people, not only in the Kingdom but throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and across the entire African continent. A high proportion of our economic activity is agro-based. Therefore, the country has continued to feel the harsh effects of climate change at the levels of subsistence farming and commercial agriculture. It is against that backdrop that the Government of the Kingdom of eSwatini declared the drought a national disaster.
Integration has become a universal subject that transcends all aspects of life. It has been proved that any development achieved by individual countries is the result of their citizens having deliberately worked together as a collective entity. That is also true with the United Nations family, where the basis of all our success is togetherness and unity in diversity. We have to come together — in our different sizes and with our diverse cultures, traditions, economies and political and social inclinations — to cooperate and become a formidable family ready to address any challenge and achieve any objective we set for ourselves.
Integration has succeeded in helping nations work together for common objectives as regions and continents and as the global community. Many countries have succeeded in developing their economies by collectively observing common regional rules in order to promote a regional agenda. Countries have agreed to open their markets in order to facilitate a high degree of economic activity, which, inter alia, boosts trade and creates jobs. Peaceful societies have been created through integration, which is one of the key ingredients that propels the push to transform our world.
The Kingdom of eSwatini has continued to be an important and active player in promoting regional and continental integration, particularly in the economic sphere. We are a member of several integration arrangements at the regional level in southern and eastern Africa, as well as at the continental level.
Last month, the Kingdom of eSwatini hosted the thirty-sixth SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government. The theme of the Summit was “Resource Mobilization for Investment in Sustainable Energy Infrastructure for an Inclusive SADC Industrialization for the Prosperity of the Region”. That theme is congruous with the theme of the seventy-first session of the General Assembly and is a building-block that augments the push to transform our world at the regional level. The Kingdom of eSwatini has been given the task of leading the SADC for one calendar year, which we accepted with dignity and humility.
The SADC Summit theme is in line with all of the Sustainable Development Goals, but most particularly with Goal 7, which is to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”, Goal 9, which is to “build resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”, and Goal 8, which is to “promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all”.
The Kingdom of eSwatini is also party to a number of trade integration arrangements, including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, the Tripartite Free Trade Area, the ongoing negotiations of the Continental Africa Free Trade Area and the Economic Partnership Agreements. Those trade agreements have opened up preferential market access opportunities for our country to maximize its trade at the regional and international levels. Those trade arrangements are also expected to boost the production capacity of countries in the region and add value to primary products, which will lead to industrialization, job creation and, subsequently, poverty reduction. In other words, regional cooperation and integration work to reinforce the implementation of the SDGs and the push to transform our world.
One of the key elements to facilitate the successful implementation of the SDGs involves consultation. Since time immemorial, the Kingdom of Swaziland has infused consultation into its way of life. It is a process that is appreciated, accepted and embraced by every member of the general populace at all levels. It is a forum made available to all citizens of the country where they may literally contribute to the way we address all economic, social, political and environmental issues that arise. The Kingdom’s consultation process is unique. Simple and transparent, it accommodates people of all ages, genders, social status, educational backgrounds and political inclinations.
It was only last month that the nation convened for days at the Ludzidzini Royal Residence to discuss issues of national significance. We call that gathering the Sibaya, or the People’s Parliament. It is a national consultation process that affords every Swazi citizen an opportunity to contribute to the development of the country. Such an inclusive process serves as a springboard for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and provides a push to transforming our Kingdom, and by extension, our world, in a peaceful manner.
The conflict in Syria continues to be a great cause for concern for us all. We call upon all parties involved to immediately find an amicable solution to the impasse. Many lives have been lost, and thousands of Syrians have become refugees in many parts of the world. We therefore urge the United Nations to address the problem in order to create suitable living conditions for the people of Syria. We furthermore urge those entrusted with the responsibility of bringing about peace in Syria not to fight with one another. They should instead concentrate their efforts on restoring peace in the country. They should also speak in one voice and adopt a tone and strategy that gives hope to the Syrians, who desperately need peace.
The Kingdom of eSwatini would like to emphasize that the push to transform our world will not be effective or adequate if some individuals, communities, countries, regions or continents are left behind. We must never forget that every individual has a part to play in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and, subsequently, in the push to transform our world. That means that there is a need for universal partnerships at all stages and levels throughout the world. That inclusiveness should also be extended to Member State representation in all bodies of the United Nations.
According to the Charter of the United Nations, the Organization’s mission is to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small. Accordingly, the 23 million people of the Republic of China on Taiwan should enjoy the same fundamental rights as any other people. Taiwan is mostly unable to attend the meetings and activities of United Nations specialized agencies. Thus the welfare of its people and, by extension, all humankind, is adversely affected. There is no doubt that their membership will add value to the family’s universal push to transform our world.
By the same token, my delegation reiterates and maintains its call for Africa’s voice to be heard loud and clear in the Security Council. This appeal has been on the agenda for the past 15 years and has been specifically articulated in the 2005 Ezulwini Consensus adopted by the African Union Heads of State and Government. My delegation believes that the permanent representation of the African continent in that United Nations organ can contribute tremendously to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and to the universal push to transform our world.
Finally, once again, we wish the United Nations a prosperous future as it addresses the multiple challenges that we are faced with in many parts of the world.


It is a special pleasure for me, in my capacity of Head of State of the Republic of Albania, to address the General Assembly at its seventy-first session.
At the outset, I wish to greet, and hail the election of, the President of the General Assembly, Mr. Peter Thomson, and to wish him good luck and every success in fulfilling the agenda and the ambitious commitments undertaken.
Above and beyond the honour and privilege of addressing the Assembly, I also feel a specific responsibility to provide a modest contribution,
especially during this important time of regional and global developments, when our attention has been focused on ensuring sustainable development.
I would like to express deep appreciation for the substantial vision and role of the Secretary-General and his contribution at the helm of the United Nations by drawing our attention to fundamental issues associated with values and human dignity and to issues related to peace and security on our common planet.
This year Albania celebrated the sixty-first anniversary of its membership in the United Nations, and it is with legitimate pleasure that I emphasize that my country remains faithful to the principles of the United Nations Charter and makes a maximal contribution, using all of its potential and capacities, to ensure peace and safety and to improve human rights.
I take this opportunity to assure the Assembly that my country has the necessary sensitivity to the challenges facing the world today and that it supports all common efforts to address them, with an unwavering conviction that conflict prevention and ensuring global peace and security, with a focus on the attention paid to people and to human society, require close cooperation and coordination.
In addressing these challenges, Albania is inclusively and comprehensively engaged in crisis prevention. Its engagement is focused on humanitarian aid; its contribution to regional stability and security; sustainable development; ratification of the Paris Agreement and the depositing of the instruments of ratification with the Secretary-General; the implementation of all of its commitments in the field of security and its appreciated and assessed contribution at the regional and international levels; and playing a proactive role on international platforms for the promotion and advancement of human rights.
Albania also views the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as an international platform for strengthening the connection between development and security, in the belief that the Agenda will serve as a guide for our action aimed at sustainable development over the next 15 years for peoples, the planet, peace, partnership and prosperity.
Albania is a pilot country in designing the global indicators for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16, for peace, justice and strong and consolidated institutions. I take this opportunity to announce that Albania is determined to be active at the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Urban Development, which offers a unique opportunity for the adoption of a new urban global agenda to strengthen relationships and synergies among urbanization and sustainable development and climate change.
The 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement are rightly considered to be opportunities to create a better life for present and future generations. The implementation of these two international documents, in the context of which Albania is working proactively, is rightly considered a key global strategy for coping with climate change, achieving sustainable development and addressing international assistance and peacemaking and peacebuilding issues.
Albania was among those countries that quickly ratified the Paris Agreement, with the sole aim of contributing to the acceleration of its entry into effect and becoming active as soon as possible.
In May, I welcomed and attended the first Global Humanitarian Summit, organized and held under the auspices of the Secretary-General in Istanbul. I would note in particular Albania’s support for the Agenda for Humanity and the view that a shift from perpetual crisis management to effective management in the area of prevention and early action is urgently needed. I am convinced that this Agenda will help us to translate the initiative into action for the good of humankind and generations to come.
Albania is joining in the international community’s efforts to deal with migration and refugee flows in a consistent and coordinated manner. Today, realities on the ground and at the policy level are leading, even forcing, us to change our approach at the regional level and beyond, in order to take qualitative steps forward in our work, approach and cooperation on migration.
Albania, as a European Union candidate country and in anticipation of the opening of accession negotiations, has embraced all of the positions and commitments of the European Union whenever required and necessary. Even within the framework of the Agenda for Humanity, Albania has joined the European Union positions and will contribute with all of its potential and capabilities to meeting those commitments.
I take this opportunity to compliment once again the Secretary-General on the report published earlier this year entitled “One humanity: shared responsibility” (A/70/709), as well as to reaffirm the support of my country for the basic principles set out in that report. It offers us a complete picture of the sad reality of human society, the humanitarian situation and human rights around the world.
Another fundamental challenge to the common values of human society is the fight against international terrorism and violent extremism. A few days ago, the citizens of New York, the city in which we have gathered today, and all other American citizens felt the pain and grief of commemorating the victims of the terrorist attacks that took place 15 years ago.
Terrorist attacks, especially those with religious motivations, have intensified in recent years, striking with ferocity and savagery at the major cities of France, Belgium, Turkey, Kuwait, Egypt, Tunisia, Lebanon and many other countries across the world, aiming to intimidate our societies and bring them to their knees.
In this context, Albania appreciates the pivotal role played by the United Nations in the global fight against terrorism and the prevention of violent extremism, as we consider the Organization as a key actor. Albania also supports the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism (A/70/674) and the active role of the United Nations in finding political solutions and addressing the root causes of conflict in areas so affected.
Albania reaffirms its support for Security Council resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014) and 2253 (2015), which require States to take the measures necessary to ensure respect for and the upholding of human rights, as well as address the issue of so-called foreign fighters and the financing of international terrorism. At present, Albania is enlisted in and, like other proactive countries, is committed to fully implementing the Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. Given our experience of many centuries of peaceful, harmonious religious coexistence, as well as the need to address this challenge domestically, Albania is implementing a pilot programme for preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism through education, with the ambition of turning that programme into a platform of dimensions wider than a purely domestic one. Albania is ready to share its experience with other countries and peoples.
Given the policies that it has pursued over the past two decades, Albania has become increasingly active in contributing to security issues in the international arena. My country has ensured its role and is strengthening that role through its proactive membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, its clear support for and concrete commitment to the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy mechanisms of the European Union, and its support for and participation in United Nations operations and in the policy advisory assistance missions carried out in Afghanistan and Sudan. Furthermore, Albania has strengthened its role through participating in missions of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, improving its strategic partnership with the United States and the European Union and engaging seriously in the fight against terrorism and combating threats to peace and security in the world. Since September 1996, Albania has contributed 6,528 troops to international peacekeeping operations.
Albania believes that the peace process in the Middle East can be maintained through negotiations and that the parties involved should take advantage of the energy and attention provided by the international community actors towards a final and lasting solution of this issue.
Albania also confirms its support for the efforts of the United Nations to facilitate a peace process in Syria, and it hailed the engagements aimed at establishing peace in Syria, opening and securing the humanitarian aid and assistance routes, and fighting Da’esh and Al-Nusra with determination. But the developments that have unfolded in recent days and hours are
16-29667 3/58 very worrying. The attacks on and interruption of humanitarian aid convoys to the civilian population undermine the efforts to reach an armistice and put an end to the violence.
Albania has recently followed with concern the nuclear tests carried out in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and has condemned them as open, systematic and provocative acts in violation of the resolutions of the Security Council of the United Nations. Those acts affect peace and security in North- East Asia, as well as worldwide, and Albania therefore demands that that country comply with and enforce international law and the United Nations resolutions.
Albania devotes special attention to regional cooperation in its entirety. Our foreign policy is maximally oriented towards the strengthening of good-neighbourly relations with all of the countries of the region and their full-fledged integration into Euro-Atlantic processes. The energetic engagement of Albania in that context and its active and constructive role in all regional initiatives have helped to strengthen political, economic and human development among all partner countries in the region, with the goal of establishing an integration agenda among those countries, the European Union and the Western Balkan countries as part of a common journey of regional countries towards European Union membership.
Albania supports Kosovo’s participation in all multilateral, regional and international activities, based on the fundamental principle that all countries in the region should actively participate in and contribute to the process of regional cooperation. Kosovo has made extraordinary achievements in consolidating its democratic institutions, good governance, the multi-ethnic coexistence of religions and, in particular, progress in the Euro-Atlantic processes. The independence of Kosovo has served to strengthen peace, stability and security and has inspired reconciliation in the region. In that spirit, we support and encourage — with no hesitation — progress in the ongoing dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, which is being mediated and facilitated by the European Union and supported by the United States. We consider those talks to be a very suitable platform for ironing out all of the outstanding issues so that they can set their sights towards the future.
Albania will continue to strongly support the expansion of the international recognition of Kosovo and of the active role that it can play as a fully fledged member in all regional organizations, just as we support the inexorable process of its membership in international organizations. That process supports inclusive international policies and Kosovo’s contribution to global policies, and also strengthens peace, security and development in the Balkan region. Today, Kosovo is recognized by 109 United Nations Member States, and I am convinced that soon other Members of the Organization will recognize it, contributing to the further strengthening of peace and stability in the region of South-East Europe and beyond.
Albania is fully committed to the process of European integration, and we consider the prospect of European Union membership as an indispensable stimulus for far-reaching reforms in the interest of strengthening the rule of law and achieving sustainable development in my country. The European Union is facing severe challenges, especially after Brexit, but Albania is determined to pursue the path of reforms, considering European integration its major objective and its best — and only — alternative.
In conclusion, I would like to confirm once again the determination of Albania to continue its support for the United Nations agenda, particularly the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which seeks to ensure sustainable development in all countries, We also support efforts to further strengthen and enhance the role of the Organization on the global level.


At the outset, I have the honour to convey the warm greetings of His Majesty the King and the people of Bhutan. I congratulate the President on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session and assure him of my delegation’s full support in the discharge of his responsibilities. His distinguished predecessor, Mr. Morgens Lykketoft, deserves our special appreciation for the excellent manner with which he steered the work of the seventieth session.
We meet at a time defined by breakthrough agreements. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on financing for development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change stand as testimonies to our collective resolve to advance peace, security, human rights and sustainable development. Those agreements underscore our commitment to multilateralism and serve as a reaffirmation of our faith in the purposes and principles of the United Nations. Together they present a historic opportunity to secure the collective hopes and aspirations of humankind.
We have undoubtedly made a good start on that monumental journey. However, let us be clear that many serious global challenges persist. We continue to witness wanton acts of terrorism and protracted conflicts that undermine the security, well-being and human rights of millions of people. Terrorism is the most flagrant violation of human rights, and we strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. It afflicts many nations and peoples, and the imperative to redouble international cooperation to combat that scourge is vital and urgent. Over the past five years, at least 15 major conflicts have erupted around the world.
Today we are witnesses to the largest displacement of people fleeing violence and conflict since the founding of the United Nations. The value of the arms trade and global military expenditures has exceeded Cold-War levels. The current stockpile of nuclear weapons is enough to destroy our planet hundreds of times over. That unimaginable destructive power still looms as a grave threat. All of those facts serve as an acute reminder that our quest for peace and security remains unfulfilled.
On the development front, significant gaps and challenges to successfully achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) confront us. For instance, the Secretary General’s June 2016 report to the Economic and Social Council on the SDGs highlights (E/2016/75) that one in eight people suffers from the abject despair of extreme poverty. About 800 million people suffer from hunger. More than 2 billion are affected by water scarcity. And 1.1 billion people live without electricity. Thousands of children die every day, mainly from preventable causes. Children make up nearly half of the almost 900 million people living on less than $1.90 per day. About 124 million children do not attend school, and two out of five leave primary school without basic skills.
Much remains to be done to accelerate the rate of progress in achieving gender parity and promoting the rights of women. We need to make concerted efforts to close the economic gap between men and women. Likewise, glaring inequalities within and among nations persist, despite substantial gains in global economic output. And addressing the employment challenge remains a daunting and complex task.
The risk of catastrophic climate change is no longer an abstract and long-term threat. Climate change is real, and countries in special situations, such as the least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS), are the most vulnerable. We have all experienced the impact of climate change, which is devastating and destabilizing, as can be seen from the frequency and intensity of recent weather events. In July we in Bhutan suffered extensive destruction and damage to property and infrastructure caused by unprecedented flash floods. Even as we deal with those long-standing challenges, the digital revolution, while opening new frontiers of opportunity by spurring global integration and catalysing a fourth industrial revolution, is ushering in new and interlocking challenges that have social, political, economic and security implications that we have yet to fully comprehend.
We have to move past the euphoria of landmark agreements. Now more than ever before, we must find new political resolve for urgent, focused and comprehensive action that involves all stakeholders at the national, regional and international levels — action that translates agreements into real and meaningful dividends for all peoples and all countries.
The scale, scope and complexity involved in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda should not be underestimated, especially given the time frame of fewer than 15 years. The focus now and in the years ahead must be on implementation. The principles and objectives of the 2030 Agenda are consistent with Bhutan’s national development framework based our concept of Gross National Happiness. Guided by that timeless vision propounded by our kings, we have always ensured that peace, happiness and the well- being of our people remained at the core of all our endeavours. Formerly a closed subsistence economy with no electricity or roads, Bhutan today is a rapidly emerging economy that aspires to achieve holistic development. With the accelerated development of our hydropower sector, the next 15 years are expected to usher in even greater transformation.
Bhutan has successfully aligned the SDGs with our national priorities and integrated them into our development-planning framework. The next decade will be critical as we seek to consolidate development gains and work towards realizing our national development goals of eradicating poverty, promoting inclusive and sustained economic growth, achieving self-reliance and eventually graduating from the least-developed- country category. We will continue to work in earnest to ensure the effective implementation of the SDGs, so that we succeed in achieving the transformation that we all seek. That is particularly important, as Bhutan faces immense challenges as an LDC and as a landlocked country. In that endeavour, the role of our development partners is critical.
The effectiveness of national strategies and investment plans, in both the formulation and the implementation, depends on predictable commitments of financial, technical and policy support measures from development partners. Our partners’ emphasis needs to shift from the expression of approximate broad support measures for the benefit of LDCs as a group to what is necessary at the country level. Financing for development, particularly commitments to official development assistance, must be disaggregated at the country level, so that they can be expressed in national budgets aimed at financing short-, medium- and long- term investment plans. Without such predictability, it is impossible for LDCs to formulate the integrated and effective strategies and plans needed to achieve the SDGs. In that regard, allow me to share some of our experiences, so as to illustrate how the predictability of financing allows for more ambitious plans.
In 1992, we established the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation — the world’s first environmental trust fund — to protect our pristine environment and rich biodiversity through the implementation of conservation programmes. Similarly, in 1998, we established the Health Trust Fund, which today sustainably finances the essential drug needs that are fundamental to our free health-care system. Recently, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, we launched the Bhutan for Life Project, an innovative financing initiative based on a project-financing-for-permanence model. Funds generated through the project will be used to maintain and manage Bhutan’s protected areas, parks and biological corridors in perpetuity, as well as to promote sustainable livelihoods for the communities in the area. We hope to expand that innovative financing model with development partners to cover other critical sectors such as sustainable energy, education and infrastructure development.
The success of the 2030 Agenda will ultimately hinge on the quality of partnerships involving Governments, the private sector and civil society at the national, regional and global levels. Partnerships in innovative financing for development will be vital for groups of countries in special situations, namely, the LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. We look forward to the continued support of our development partners and well-wishers.
Bhutan’s commitment and contributions to the conservation and preservation of the environment, the protection of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change have been widely acknowledged. That commitment dates back more than two decades, when we took a deliberate decision to shift our forest policy away from revenue generation towards environmental protection by banning the export of raw timber, despite our limited resources. Furthermore, in 2008, we pledged to safeguard our forests through a constitutional mandate that requires maintaining a minimum of 60 per cent of our land under forest cover in perpetuity. Today, 75 per cent of our land is covered in forest, and 38 per cent of our total land area has been designated as national protected areas. In 2009, we committed to remaining carbon neutral, but in reality we are carbon negative, and we look forward to ratifying the Paris Agreement on Climate Change upon completion of internal processes.
Effective multilateralism requires an effective United Nations — one that is fit for the purpose. Since the founding of the United Nations, the world has undergone profound changes. Its membership has increased fourfold, and the challenges we face have become more complex. Institutions cannot be static. They must evolve and adapt, so as to remain relevant and effective. The United Nations and its principal organs must be reformed in keeping with contemporary realities — in particular the Security Council, so as to make the Council more representative, transparent and accountable and to enhance its legitimacy and credibility. Similarly, the 2030 Agenda requires a United Nations development system that is able to deliver integrated and coordinated policy support. In that regard, it is essential to achieve an ambitious outcome to the new quadrennial comprehensive policy review of operational activities for development of the United Nations system — one that matches the ambitions of the 2030 Agenda.
Bhutan has been blessed with peace, progress and stability under the enlightened leadership of our monarchs. We embraced democracy in a unique manner, as it was imposed on us by our kings and not born out of popular unrest or strife. I am pleased to state that our transition to democracy is on a firm footing, with democratic institutions in place, supported by a vibrant and independent media.
Peace and security is a shared concern and responsibility. Bhutan is committed to supporting United Nations peacekeeping endeavours to maintain peace, protect civilians and create the conditions necessary for lasting and durable solutions to conflicts around the world. Despite our limitations and constraints, we joined the fraternity of troop- and police-contributing countries in 2014. That is a reflection of our commitment to share the burden along with other Member States. Today, we have a presence in 10 peacekeeping missions, and we hope to broaden and deepen our peacekeeping engagement in the coming years.
As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon completes his tenure in December, I wish to take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and appreciation to him for his leadership, service and contributions to the important work of the United Nations. We wish him and his family every success in all their future endeavours.
Second chances are rare in life. The agreements that we adopted in 2015 have given us an extraordinary opportunity to bring about greater peace, progress and prosperity for all. History will judge us by our ability to translate those compacts into meaningful and concrete results. Let us not squander this historic opportunity.
Addressing our peace, security and sustainable development challenges requires global action, underpinned by the solidarity of all Member States and bound together by a strong esprit de corps at the United Nations. In that context, I would like to end with a quote by His Majesty the King of Bhutan:
“Individual or even national success is a ship that cannot carry everyone together to the same place at the same time. Rich nations must stop and be mindful of the poorer ones left behind. Successful people must stop and remember those who did not make it. No nation today can stand alone in achievement. Time is slowly telling us that there can be no lasting individual success without success as a community, and there cannot be lasting national progress and success if it does not fit into a future of global peace, harmony and equality. The world must progress together or fail together.”


Allow me, at the outset, to express to you, President Thomson, and through you to your country, our congratulations on the trust placed in you to guide the work of this session. We have great hopes that this session will help us embed the principles underpinning the Organization and the General Assembly. We very much hope that this occasion will also be an opportunity to promote international collaboration. I would also like to express to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon my most sincere thanks and appreciation for all of his great efforts for the good of peoples around the world, as well as his promotion of the noble principles of the United Nations.
This session is taking place at the same time as the celebration of independence of the State of Tunisia — 60 years of independence as a modern country. It is 60 years since we joined the United Nations, and this is an opportunity for us to reiterate how much Tunisia is committed to the purposes and principles behind the creation of the Organization. We are fully prepared to pursue assistance to the Organization so that the United Nations can accomplish its noble goal of promoting peace, security, human rights and development throughout the world.
Tunisia has had the unique experience of building democracy based on national accord so that we can overcome differences in political opinion. That has allowed us to see major political accomplishments. We have a new, modern Constitution. We have held legislative and presidential elections that were witnessed by the entire world and declared transparent, free and fair. That has increased our confidence in ourselves and has made us more able to face up to the challenges we face. It also led to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015, which in turn enabled us to rectify our political trajectory to overcome a political impasse.
Our democratic experience in Tunisia has had major achievements, but we still need support. Given our fragile economy, we still need to strengthen our democracy. Five years have already gone by since the 2011 Tunisian revolution, but we are still facing enormous challenges on the path towards achieving an economic revival and improving living standards.
We have launched an ambitious initiative to meet the expectations of the Tunisian people. We called for the establishment of a Government of national unity that would be capable of satisfying our needs at this stage in our history: winning the fight against terrorism, accelerating coordination between development and growth, stimulating job creation, fighting corruption and laying the foundations for good governance and for the implementation of effective social policies.
This initiative has enjoyed broad support from political parties and different national organizations. It led to the establishment of a Government of national unity, with robust participation by women, headed by a young leader. This reflects our determination to allow young people and women to assume important roles in this democratic experience. Tunisia left authoritarianism behind in 2011, and our country is now under the rule of law. We reiterate our determination to move forward toward further democracy and freedom and to face up to all attempts to take us back in time.
Of course, we are still a young country. We are facing major economic and social challenges of an unprecented scale that jeopardize our path to the future, especially given the regional context, particularly regional terrorism. That requires us to seek robust support from our partners so that we can overcome the challenges and osbtacles and make headway on internal development and create jobs for young people, particularly those with qualifications.
On 29 and 30 November, Tunisia will host an international conference to support the economy and seek investment. Participants will include Heads of State and Government, representatives of international organizations, investment funds, civil society representatives and representatives from the public and private sectors. It will be an opportunity for our brothers and friends to express their support and solidarity with Tunisia, including their support for democracy in our country at this particularly critical point in time.
This year’s general debate is of particular importance, especially following the adoption of the new Sustainable Development Goals. It is of particular importance because it is linked to the ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Tunisia also adopted ambitious goals in establishing our own development plan. We will spare no effort to make the 2030 Agenda a reality.
We call upon all partners to redouble their efforts to assist developing countries as they seek to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, including by providing them with the support they are counting on — especially for African countries, which are encountering many economic, social and environmental difficulties. Those challenges require robust assistance from the international community so that African communities and countries can achieve development. We need to make certain that we can do that in order to ensure that we have peace, stability and security and so that we can prevent conflicts and confront terrorism and extremism.
Today, we renew our commitment to the African Union Agenda 2063, which is the sum of our ambitions and our dedication. Given the close link between peace, security and development, we also renew our commitment to strengthening our participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and to taking a more active role in capacity-building within the African continent, including on military assistance.
The Arab world is seeing an increase in violence and conflict, which is a major source of concern. Violence, extremism and terrorism are spreading. We have seen that lead to an increase in organized criminal activity, which is destabilizing every one of our countries without exception. The lack of stability in the Arab world is just a part of the instability found throughout the world. Therefore, we call upon everyone to find urgent political solutions to all the issues concerning the region. First and foremost is the Palestinian question, which requires a fair, comprehensive solution that will provide justice for the Palestinian people, bring an end to their suffering and allow them to obtain their historic legitimate rights, in particular the establishment of an independent State, with Al-Quds as its capital, in conformity with related international decisions.
We are greatly concerned by the crisis in Libya, and our concerns will remain while instability reigns in that brotherly country, with all the implications that it can have for our security and our economy. We are firmly committed to promoting reconciliation and agreement between the different parties in Libya so that they can implement all phases of the Libyan Political Agreement, signed in 17 December 2015, under the auspices of the United Nations. We shall also continue our support for the Government of National Accord so that it can assume its responsibilities and accomplish its role in re-establishing peace, stability and security and in combating terrorism and improving the living standards of the Libyan people.
We are following with concern the evolution of the situations in Syria and Yemen. We are concerned about the implications for security and the humanitarian disaster resulting from those conflicts. We need a political solution to the situations in those two countries so that they can maintain their unity and territorial integrity in order to ensure peace.
I stand here before the Assembly as we commemorate our independence and the sixtieth anniversary of our accession to the Organization. That reminds me of the founder of modern Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba, who in a speech confirmed that Tunisia, having recovered its independence, declared its complete commitment to the purposes and principles and the noble humanitarian values enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Today, as we begin a new chapter in our history — our ancient history — with many efforts to advance democracy and the protection and promotion of human rights, we again affirm our determination to create a conducive environment for our citizens to be able to live in dignity. As Tunisia grounds itself on the efforts of the Tunisian people, with the support of our brothers and partners, we firmly believe that those efforts will be successful in contributing to security and peace in the region and worldwide.