It is a great honour to once again address the General Assembly as we mark the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the United Nations. The occasion provides us with an opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments and to recognize the challenges that remain in achieving peace, security and human rights at home and abroad.
Georgia is a small country with a big heart and even bigger dreams. It is on the move and headed in the right direction. Our vision is clear and our future is bright. In a major announcement this week, the World Bank released its comprehensive new report on governance, and I am very proud to say that Georgia was at the top of the charts in overall progress in all six indicators. According to the rankings, since 2012 Georgia has jumped 13 places in regulatory quality, 16 in voice and accountability, 19 in the rule of law, 22 in political
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stability and in Government effectiveness, and 23 in controlling corruption. That dramatic progress underscores my Government’s determination to strengthen the rule of law and media freedom, build a modern economy and move our nation forward with confidence.
By contrast, just two decades ago Georgia was an isolated country torn by civil war, with few functioning institutions of modern statehood. Today we are writing a new chapter in the history of our great nation. Georgia is a modern, dynamic and democratic State. Next year, we will celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Georgia’s regaining its independence. Freedom, fairness and justice, as we say, run through the veins of our people. The Georgian people are committed to the rule of law, to the protection of human rights and to democratic values. We will stay the course on reform, which is the only road to peace and prosperity for our country.
We are moving our country forward in the same spirit that our ancestors embodied for thousands of years. Georgia has absorbed the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, principles that have guided our democratic development. We learned quickly and embraced passionately the spirit of international cooperation. So on behalf of all freedom- loving Georgians, I thank the United Nations and all free people around the world for their steadfast support of my country.
Today, Georgia is firmly connected to the world and the family of nations. We have dedicated ourselves to democracy, human rights, sustainable development and the promise of peace. We are building a mature democracy and a job-creating economy even in the face of significant regional security threats. The steady arc of our Euro-Atlantic path reflects Georgia’s strong European identity and values. European integration has proved to be a powerful incentive for calm cooperation among European States and their neighbours. We reached a milestone in June 2014, when I signed the Association Agreement with the European Union. As part of Europe, Georgia will become part of that fabric of peace and stability, which can only benefit our own neighbours, and I think it will make us more secure.
In the past few years, my Government and our country has made progress in every policy area. We have established a social compact that rewards work and enterprise while providing a social safety net for those in need. Despite challenging economic
headwinds, we have introduced a national health- care programme and doubled welfare services. In just one important initiative, we will save over 200,000 lives through a new and creative campaign to combat hepatitis C. We are solidifying Georgia’s democracy. Our people demand and deserve a strong democracy and a responsive Government. We have created a system of governance that is more open, more transparent and more accountable to the people than ever before. But we will not rest. More must be done.
The 2013 presidential election and the 2014 local elections were praised by international observers as free and fair. I am also proud of the fact that last year we adopted Georgia’s first comprehensive long-term human rights strategy and enacted a new anti-discrimination law. My Government strives to ensure human rights for all of our people. A free and open democracy goes hand in hand with a free and open marketplace.
Economic freedom remains the central pillar of our development plan. Our plan is designed to grow our economy, strengthen our institutions of governance and deliver more jobs and more opportunities for the Georgian people. We are driving growth by making Georgia a great place to do business and an attractive location for foreign investment. Since 2014, we have added 90,000 new jobs in Georgia, covering all sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, tourism and energy. Doing business in Georgia continues to be easy. Foreign and domestic businesses freely operate in a competitive environment with strong guarantees of private-property rights. The World Bank also ranks Georgia as the fifteenth easiest place to do business in the world. In 2014, Georgia achieved an 87 per cent surge in foreign direct investment (FDI), which is the largest growth in and highest amount of FDI since 2007.
Georgia has also become a major tourist destination and venue for international sporting events. The world is catching on to the fact that Georgia has it all — beautiful beaches and stunning mountain resorts, a gourmet tradition, exceptional wines, unique historical sites and world-class hospitality. In August, Tbilisi hosted two major sporting events, the European Youth Olympic Festival and the 2015 Union of European Football Associations Super Cup, which provided a unique opportunity to celebrate cooperation over conflict. Speaking of sports, I must take this opportunity to wish the Georgian national rugby team success as they face New Zealand tomorrow at the Rugby World Cup. Our nation is proud of them.
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Another area of our national development is education. I personally know the value of a good education and studying abroad. I want Georgian youths to have that same opportunity. To that end, we launched a new programme where the Georgian Government will provide financial support for our students to study abroad. In return, they must come back home and put their skills to use in service to our country. For those hard-working Georgians who cannot travel abroad, we are bringing world-class education right to Georgia. I am proud to say we recently inaugurated a new programme in cooperation with the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States. Georgian students can now obtain a United States engineering degree from San Diego State University without leaving Georgia.
Even with all those achievements, we still face challenges to our security at home. I regret that since my last address to the United Nations (see A/69/PV.14), the Russian Federation signed the so-called integration treaties with Sukhumi and Tskhinvali. Russia continues to illegally extend its control over Georgian sovereign territory. I condemn that creeping annexation and Russia’s disregard for international law. A tragic result is that the local population in the occupied territories of Georgia are robbed of the fundamental rights of a free people. De facto authorities recently undertook additional measures to suppress still further the Georgians’ right to be educated in their mother tongue. The freedom of movement and the basic rights of a free nation are crushed, along with the hopes and dreams of hundreds of thousands of victims of ethnic cleansing who only wish to return to their places of origin.
I must once again underline the importance of resolution 69/286, on the status of internally displaced persons and refugees from Abkhazia, Georgia, and the Tskhinvali region/South Ossetia, Georgia, and similar resolutions annually adopted by the General Assembly. The pain of the conflict is real. The dislocation is profound. Just since 2012, our Government has provided homes to approximately 10,000 internally displaced families from the occupied territories.
Against the backdrop of continued Russian occupation, my Government has nevertheless been clear on the need to forge responsible and pragmatic relations with the Russian Federation. To that end, we have taken a number of constructive, concrete steps to advance trade, transport, communication, humanitarian
contacts and tourism when and where possible with Russia.
Let me be clear. Relations with Russia cannot be settled at the expense of our sovereignty and territorial integrity. I hope that the Russian Federation will finally fulfil its international obligations, including the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement, and act as a responsible member of the international community. At the same time, I want to once again reaffirm our strong commitment to the peaceful resolution of the conflict, based on the fundamental principles of international law and the Charter of the United Nations.
Let me now address the Abkhazian and Ossetian peoples, my brothers and sisters. I firmly believe that no one will rewrite history and erase our common past. All attempts to cut off ties and divide our peoples will fail. We will benefit from a growing Georgian economy soon and from our Association Agreement with the European Union, including increasing trade and visa liberalization. We know that the arc of history favours more cooperation, more integration and more prosperity. When we work together, we all succeed and benefit. I look forward to the day when we will share in our mutual prosperity.
Despite those challenges, my country seeks to contribute to international peace, security, sustainable development and economic prosperity. Last year I had the honour of announcing Georgia’s intention to establish a Silk Road forum. Today, I am proud that the idea has materialized, and in a few weeks we will host the first-of-its-kind high-level forum in Tbilisi. My country’s location is at a key crossroads linking East with West. That was underscored this year when Georgia hosted both the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the first meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. The revitalization of the Silk Road is an important opportunity to ensure deeper economic and cultural ties between Asia and Europe. We are developing a strong economic and trade relationship with China, and I think the Silk Road region will open up new opportunities. That region accounts for two thirds of the world’s population and 60 per cent of its gross domestic product. I am convinced the Tbilisi Silk Road forum offers great potential to promote cooperation and regional integration.
I also want to comment on the recent P5+1 agreement reached with Iran. My country is hopeful
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that the process will develop in a positive direction and contribute to greater security and economic development in the wider region.
Georgia has repeatedly demonstrated its readiness to pay more than its fair share to promote a secure international environment. My country contributed the second-largest number of troops, after the United States, to the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. Our soldiers are among the world’s best. They are the pride of my nation, and we honour them. I would like to take a moment to remember all the brave Georgian troops who serve their nation and have given their lives in the pursuit of peace and freedom. My country’s contributions to our common security do not end there. Georgia also supports the European Union’s peacekeeping efforts, including providing the second- largest troop contribution to the European Union Military Advisory Mission in the Central African Republic.
A core element of Georgia’s security and its Euro- Atlantic integration is its ever-deepening relationship with NATO. Following last year’s NATO Summit, NATO agreed to provide Georgia a substantial package of practical support to strengthen Georgia’s armed forces and make us a more integrated ally. Most recently, we inaugurated a new joint training and evaluation centre in Georgia, where Georgian forces will receive NATO training. We are also increasing the number of training exercises carried out between Georgia and the United States and between Georgia and its NATO allies.
The Charter of the United Nations, adopted 70 years ago, was designed to put an end to chaos and to build a better world. Today, the world is still facing unprecedented challenges that require strong political resolve. Where necessary, we must reform international organizations to meet current demands. In that context, we commend the ongoing inter-State negotiations on Security Council reform, which aim at raising the effectiveness of the United Nations in crisis situations, as defined by the Charter. Increasing the role of small States in the Security Council, avoiding misuse of the veto rights, as well as improving the working methods, should be the cornerstone of the reform process. Thus I express hope that the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations will serve as a reminder to all of us to stand firmly for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and for the goal of peace and stability throughout the world.
In conclusion, let me end where I began. Our vision is clear and our future is bright. Let me share my dream for Georgia. I see a country where every young Georgian boy or girl has access to a quality education in order to give them the opportunity to develop their God-given talents. I see a country where people are free from the fear of not having the health care and resources they need to protect their family, livelihood and future. I see a strong, prosperous Georgia that leverages its geographic location as a vital crossroads connecting East and West, North and South. I see a strong and proud nation dedicated to facilitating peace among neighbours, as well as commerce between continents. I see a country that is a force for good and stability in its own neighbourhood, a country that lives up to its responsibilities as a global citizen.
Let us walk together in creating a brighter future for the next generations.


I bring the General Assembly the warm greetings of “Yokwe” from the people and nation of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
The United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) offer small island States a powerful tool with which to shape and adjust our own domestic strategies. The international community has spoken, and a changing world is mapping a visionary landscape that reaches into the distant years that have too rarely been part of our own national discussions — beyond 2020, beyond 2023, towards 2030 and even farther, to the middle of the century.
In adopting the SDGs, the Marshall Islands cannot afford a set-it-and-forget-it mentality, which has too often marked past international efforts. We now have a powerful opportunity in which to merge recent national planning improvements and construct an architecture for measuring progress and pinpointing gaps. Such gaps are not only our own, but also those of our partners. Too often, we have — all of us — operated with goodwill, but without accountability for our collective performance. Our post-2023 national trust fund deserves a strong support system and also represents an opportunity, if we use it, to work towards specific goals and benchmarks. If we can jointly harness our national and global priorities, if we can commit our own efforts and national resources, however small they may be right now, and if our close partners can work with us to restructure assistance-delivery to target the SDGs, then my nation too can climb the development ladder.
I welcome the establishment of a comprehensive assistance programme with the International Atomic Energy Agency that will not only enhance our national
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capacity to monitor and evaluate serious issues of nuclear contamination but that will also address health strategies and other key SDG benchmarks.
The Marshall Islands faces some of the more complex development, security and planning challenges in the world, but we lack the full tools available to tackle them. A nation struggling to attain basic social development goals will not be equipped to resolve any other challenge.
Progress in education is key. Firm efforts are under way to correct our course and to provide better opportunities for our youngest and future generations. We have found new pathways for building on our traditional knowledge and culture to enable our education system to draw on our own Pacific story and strength. But our efforts and good intentions alone cannot ensure that every willing student has an opportunity to succeed. We need international support.
The Republic of the Marshall Islands has one of the world’s highest rates of diabetes, which has led my Government to declare a state of emergency. Non-communicable diseases remain a primary threat to our national well-being. Without transformative partnerships, and without extending more closely to our shores the renewed United Nations 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases, we risk a tragic downward spiral.
The term developing nation implies forward movement, yet for far too long the Marshall Islands has been only treading water. We have promising opportunities and aspirations for improving our investment platforms, but our untapped yet substantial resource base is often coloured by larger international influence.
Our fisheries represent not only a vital sector for our own development, but also a wider contribution to international food security, because the Pacific is steward of half the world’s commercial tuna. Our foreign fishing nation partners, who not by accident are also the drivers of global influence, have held the purse to our own future for far too long. Key stocks in the Pacific are being plundered at unsustainable rates that jeopardize our future.
Already, higher returns from foreign licenses have benefited our own national fiscal future, yet that is only a fraction of the true potential. It is unacceptable that,
on the one hand, we are expected to achieve the SDGs and to demonstrate dramatic development progress while, on the other hand, we are blocked from further gains from our own resources by the self-interests of distant fishing nations.
The Marshall Islands and the States parties to the Nauru Agreement Concerning Cooperation in the Management of Fisheries of Common Interest remain firmly committed to the benefits of the Vessel Day Scheme and targeted high seas closures as a condition for fishing our waters. The tables have turned and, if others wish to fish our waters, they must now do so on our own sovereign terms.
As a low-lying island nation with no higher ground, climate change poses a severe threat to our security. Some have said that there is no more hope and no more time. I forcefully disagree. The future of my nation — the future of our very land — may rest more in the hands of my fellow world leaders than in my own. There is still hope — hope that my nation will be able to tackle the most difficult planning challenges and to build resilience wherever we can, and hope that the world will not turn a blind eye. I can assure the United Nations that the Marshall Islands refuses the very notion that we would willingly relocate wholesale to another country, or resign ourselves to saying that if the water comes, it comes.
As we move to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) later this year, in Paris, I am proud that climate change is now recognized by all world leaders as a reality that deserves, and is receiving, a firm and collective response. Everyone must act. Many, including my own nation, have already committed to emissions cuts well into the future of 2025, 2030 and beyond. But the world’s initial efforts are falling significantly short. Instead of indifference or fumbled excuses, we must achieve true leadership that provides a direct response to closing the global emissions gap.
As the broader United Nations debates Security Council reform to adjust it the modern world, the nations that portray themselves as deserving leaders have an excellent opportunity to demonstrate their leadership by not ducking the bill or pointing fingers, but by embracing the challenge of the global emissions gap. They should begin to speak about opportunities for new forms of energy, instead of dancing around perceived threats to growth. For the island nations, a
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world without a true commitment to decarbonization and meaningful strategies for its attainment is ultimately no world at all.
As dramatically different as our landscape is today, the tensions of an earlier age continue to resonate, from the time when the Pacific islands region served as the horrific theatre for a global power struggle. Decades later, we again face the complex push-and-pull of larger international politics. Our regional baseline is often one of severe fragility. We have sharp exposure to external shocks, and some of our emerging and future security challenges not only extend beyond our capacity but push the envelope of international precedent.
The treatment of our security as small-island and large ocean nations cannot be considered apart from that of much larger interaction across the Pacific. Some may view political alliances, borders and, in some cases, significant marine mineral resources as mere possessions ready to be plucked by the highest bidder or the strongest military force, just as one might pick ripe fruit from a tree. That contradicts the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations.
I offer my firm support for the initiative proposed by New Zealand during its Security Council presidency, when it convened a Council meeting on small island developing States and threats to international peace and security (see S/PV.7499). That meeting revealed issues that slip under the global radar but that cannot be ignored. I urge the Council’s establishment of a regular agenda item on security issues in small island developing States.
I am proud to announce the formal establishment, earlier this week, of diplomatic relations between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Cuba.
Everyone should participate on the international stage. The Republic of the Marshall Islands supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the specialized agencies of the United Nations, including the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the UNFCCC. It is imperative that the global community fully recognize and evaluate Taiwan’s important commitment to reduce its emissions. Furthermore, I call for Taiwan’s involvement in the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda, and urge recognition of the important assistance it has provided to my country in the areas of health, education and energy. The Marshall Islands welcomes Taiwan’s efforts as a regional peacemaker, including in cross-
strait issues, and urges that States Members of the United Nations recognize and encourage such progress.
Like many other countries, the Republic of the Marshall Islands believes that awareness of the catastrophic impacts and humanitarian consequences of nuclear weapons must underpin all efforts towards nuclear disarmament. As a former United Nations Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, the Republic of the Marshall Islands has a unique legacy shared only by a few other nations. Even while the United Nations was supposed to be furthering our development, 67 nuclear tests were conducted in our nation between 1946 and 1958 by our former administering Power, the United States of America, under our United Nations trusteeship status, including through authorization under two United Nations resolutions. That was the only time the United Nations ever explicitly authorized the use of nuclear weapons, and the results were, and remain, beyond tragic.
If our own past and its contemporary impact continue to bear that heavy burden, the whole world should know our story. I would therefore strongly urge Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to include the powerful and specific example of the Marshall Islands and the related role of the United Nations in his statements aimed at encouraging progress on nuclear disarmament and test bans.
It is essential for the survival of humankind that nuclear weapons never be used again under any circumstances. The universal way to accomplish that is through the total elimination of such weapons. I am deeply disappointed that political distractions resulted in the lack of an outcome from the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons earlier this year. It should be our goal as the United Nations not only to stop the spread of nuclear weapons but also to pursue peace and security in a world without them.
This year, I look forward to a truly united United Nations with the courage not only to address the immediate emergencies at hand but also to move us forward into our dynamic century.


King Mohammed VI has mandated me
to convey his congratulations, his esteem and his greetings. He also asked me to deliver this royal speech to the General Assembly at its seventieth session.
The current session of the General Assembly is particularly important because it has seen the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1). It is an opportunity to reiterate our collective commitment to achieving one of the lofty objectives of the Charter of the United Nations and to fulfil the aspirations of peoples throughout the world. This session also coincides with the celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations establishment at a time when the international community is facing serious, unprecedented challenges and challenges that require joint, efficient and integrated action. The Kingdom of Morocco’s position regarding these challenges and the spectrum of regional and international issues will be laid out during the General Assembly’s committee meetings and at the ministerial discussions that will take place on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
The preparation of the development Agenda for the next 15 years must be based on an objective assessment of what we have done since 2000. Have we managed to improve the day-to-day life of the poor? Are the results achieved solid and sustainable enough to withstand tensions, wars and social and economic crises? The review of the Millennium Development Goals shows that tangible progress has been made between 1990 and 2015, yet the remaining gaps among regions throughout the world and within certain countries remain a legitimate cause of concern. This situation tarnishes the image of international cooperation and casts doubt on our collective action within the United Nations.
But that does not necessarily mean that we have failed. This situation should rather lead all stakeholders to consider the best means to promote development and to correct the malfunctions that affect international cooperation. In this context, the Kingdom of Morocco hopes that the Sustainable Development Goals will contribute to developing an ambitious Agenda that can improve the situation at all levels — national, regional and international.
However relevant and promising the Sustainable Development Agenda is, its credibility will depend on our ability to find the financing necessary for its implementation. International cooperation therefore has to keep pace with the new international reality.
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It needs to shake off the legacy and geopolitical calculations of the past and refrain from imposing near impossible conditions for accessing support. The Ebola crisis showed that besides expressions of solidarity dictated by circumstance, the international support to the countries affected was far from sufficient and did not rise to the level of commitment required by the gravity of the situation.
Development does not come through bureaucratic decisions or by means of technical reports that lack credibility. Development requires the deep understanding of the realities of peoples’ existence and their characteristic capacities, as well as an objective analysis of the context in which they live. It also requires serious work to respond to their aspirations and genuine concerns.
I am very familiar with the difficult situation in Africa and I think I know what I am talking about. Many Africans are indeed living in very difficult conditions. The reality is infinitely more cruel and bitter than is indicated in the reports of some international governmental and non-governmental organizations. The life of these Africans is a struggle and subject to daily challenges and scant resources, but at the same time they live with dignity and have a sincere patriotic commitment to a better future.
To address this situation, we must develop an inclusive and consistent mid-term approach with complementary measures. Urgent, practical initiatives are also required because deteriorating conditions and daily pressing needs cannot wait for international bureaucracy to wake up and take the necessary decisions. From that perspective, Africa must be at the heart of international development cooperation in order to help the continent free itself from its colonial past and unlock its potential. Morocco therefore calls on the United Nations and regional and international financial institutions to draft an action plan for the economic transformation of Africa and the provision of steady resources for its financing.
Despite its promise, Africa stands at a crossroads because without substantial and tangible international support, the continent will major inequalities will emerge among its countries. Some countries will progress and develop while others continue to have problems and sink into poverty, ignorance and instability. We call for peace and stability to be made top priorities in order to prevent conflicts, tackle extremism and terrorism, and
resolve the migration problem through an approach that takes into account the dignity of migrants, preserves their basic rights, and addresses the root causes of this phenomenon.
This year in my country, we are celebrating the tenth anniversary of our national human development initiative, which has contributed to reducing poverty, marginalization, exclusion and interregional disparities. It also enabled Morocco to achieve Millennium Development Goal 1 in 2013. International organizations have therefore ranked Morocco third among the five countries in the world to have adopted the best public welfare programmes and initiatives. We are ready to put our experience in this field at the service of our partners, in particular in Africa.
Because of its geographical location and its strategic choices, the Kingdom of Morocco is actively involved in addressing all global issues and concerns, including migration, human rights, climate change, sustainable development and the fight against terrorism. Morocco national response to each has made a sound contribution to international efforts to face these unprecedented global challenges.
Morocco’s commitment to addressing these universal issues is reflected particularly in the fight against climate change, one of the most serious threats facing humankind as a whole. We participated in the Rio Summit in 1992 and have since worked to develop a national environmental policy based on involving all relevant stakeholders and on the effective use of financial resources dedicated to climate issues. This policy is reflected in our adoption of a national charter for environment and sustainable development and in the Green Morocco Plan as well as in our ambitious programmes for solar and wind renewable energy, which aim to meet 42 per cent of Morocco’s energy needs by 2020.
We are also faithfully meeting our commitments in the field of the environment, and in 2015 officially presented our intended nationally determined contribution. This includes strong and ambitious commitments to its participation in setting up an international environmental order that is fair and solidarity based. In this respect Morocco is proposing to host in Marrakesh in 2016 the twenty-second Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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We should like to take this opportunity to reiterate our support for France’s efforts to achieve a global, comprehensive, sustainable, balanced and legally binding agreement at the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Therefore we see the Paris and Marrakesh Conferences as two complementary steps towards making a qualitative improvement in the fight against climate change and avoiding previous failures caused by a lack of coordination and cooperation among stakeholders.
We therefore stress the importance of the call issued on 20 September in Tangier by Morocco, together with President François Hollande of France, for collective, solidarity-based international action on climate change. The choice of Morocco to launch this joint initiative was not incidental but a demonstration of the esteem in which our country is held in its position at the vanguard of the efforts of African nations to adopt efficient national strategies in the field of renewable energy. Consistent with this solidarity-based policy, Morocco will spare no effort to broadcast the voices and concerns of the African continent and the small island developing States, which are the most vulnerable to climate change.
The United Nations is today celebrating its seventieth anniversary and has reached the age of maturity, wisdom and responsibility. Those same principles and values should govern the action of the international community in resolving the regional disputes it faces. The Organization’s work must not be a destabilizing factor for countries that contribute to multilateral cooperation and action. Morocco therefore rejects any irresponsible or risky course of action with regard to the regional dispute over the Moroccan Sahara. Indeed, many international Powers fully realize that the unrealistic plans that have been drawn up inside offices and the erroneous proposals that have been made can only undermine the situation in the region.
We have high hopes that the United Nations will maintain its efforts to resolve disputes by peaceful means and remain committed to upholding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States in order to establish the peace, security and stability to which the peoples of the world aspire.


Mr. President, I would like to express my warmest congratulations to you on your election as President of our prestigious Assembly at its seventieth session. Your proven experience in international affairs, combined with your esteemed personal qualities, bode well for the success of this session of the General Assembly.
In this pivotal year, when the Organization is celebrating its seventieth anniversary, I would like to commend the efforts of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and associate myself with the unanimous tributes paid to him for his commitment to promoting peace and sustainable development and to the fight against climate change. The people and the
Government of Haiti are particularly grateful for the spirit of solidarity that he has always shown with regard to our country in its ongoing struggle to strengthen our democracy.
In a world where, in the words of His Holiness Pope Francis, speaking at the World Meeting of Popular Movements, “global interdependence calls for global answers to local problems”, the challenge to the United Nations today is to reinvent itself, to reform itself and, above all, to be the bearer of a new vision of our shared future, a vision capable of reviving the original flame and of reuniting Member States around a grand collective plan focused on the bedrock of core values on which the Organization is built.
In that respect, we welcome a number of recent diplomatic breakthroughs that bring glimmers of hope in international relations. The restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States of America and Cuba is undoubtedly a historic breakthrough. It allows us to anticipate greater serenity in hemispheric relations. The Republic of Haiti can only rejoice at that development. We pay tribute to the vision, pragmatism and leadership shown by the American and Cuban Heads of State, who opened a new chapter in the relations between the two countries.
Similarly, we welcome the signing of the agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the group of six countries on the Iranian nuclear issue and the détente that has resulted from it. I also welcome the atmosphere of cordiality and fraternal dialogue that now governs the relations between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan. We have no doubt that the new momentum in their relations will significantly contribute to a much- hoped-for thaw among all the countries of South-East Asia, moving beyond their differences and divergences. The Republic of Haiti encourages the spirit of dialogue prevailing in the relations between nations, which seeks to reach peaceful solutions to their conflicts.
The Syrian crisis is a real affront to the conscience of humankind. Non-State entities are expanding their grip every day, particularly in Iraq and Syria, engaging in intolerable atrocities against civilian populations and in the destruction of world cultural-heritage sites. Such threats, which are of an exceptional scale and gravity, pose a challenge to the international community. We have a clear obligation to adopt all collective measures necessary so as to ensure international security and respect for human rights. We must redouble our efforts to oppose with determination the barbarism of terrorist
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entities and their criminal acts that endanger our shared values. There can be no real peace or security if the international community shows weakness towards those who violate international public order.
It goes without saying that we cannot hope for effective responses to the global challenges of our time without narrowing the North-South divide, without an intensification of the fight against poverty, and without a proactive response to environmental crises that afflict, above all, the poorest countries. Strengthening the credibility of the United Nations means strengthening its ability to act quickly and intervene effectively in maintaining peace and security, especially when it comes to preventing major crisis situations, calming recurring sources of tension or resolving conflicts that have gone on for too long.
I would like to discuss the situation of my country, the Republic of Haiti. On 9 August, an important stage in the consolidation of democracy in Haiti was reached. An independent electoral council, chosen by civil society, launched the electoral process that will lead to presidential, legislative, municipal and territorial elections before the end of this year.
A year ago, in his report to the Security Council on the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), the Secretary-General noted that holding inclusive elections was
“essential for ... the consolidation of democracy and the rule of law and to promote socioeconomic development, which is necessary to improve the living conditions of the population and achieve enduring stability” (S/2014/617, para. 62).
I am pleased to confirm to the General Assembly that my country is on track. The Haitian people has demonstrated political maturity and the ability to take control of its destiny. I wish to express my deep gratitude to all of Haiti’s cooperation partners and to the United Nations for the scale of the support provided in the preparation and holding of the electoral contests. The success of the elections will be an important milestone on the country’s road to stability and in the political transition in 2016. That will be a key indicator of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti’s sound performance and success over the past 11 years.
Significant progress has been made in Haiti, especially during the past four years. I can say that, under my Administration, democracy was
consolidated, institutions guaranteeing the rule of law were strengthened, the situation in terms of the security environment has improved significantly, and human rights have been promoted and respected. Never has the number of international conventions ratified by the country — on the protection of human rights, the rights of children, women and vulnerable people — been more substantial. At the same time, extreme poverty has declined, foreign direct investment has shown a net expansion, and, after decades of stagnation, the economy has returned to growth.
In terms of the Millennium Development Goals, much progress has been reported. Haiti has reached the target for the reduction in the prevalence of underweight children under 5 years of age, three years ahead of schedule. Thanks to the universal education enrolment programme, which is compulsory and free and was set up by my Administration, more than 1 million children have been able to attend school. We have also seen progress in access to safe drinking water, lower infant- mortality rates, the alleviation of extreme poverty and the fight against social exclusion. In the field of public health, we have achieved undeniable success in the fight against HIV/AIDS and malaria.
The progress made in recent years was made possible thanks, in part, to the support of MINUSTAH. Those achievements represent an outstanding contribution to the country’s stability, without which there can be no serious possibility of economic modernization and sustainable development. MINUSTAH is in the process of adapting to a new environment, different from that prevailing when it was established. The Haitian Government prefers a reconfiguration plan that takes into account the evolving situation on the ground. I reiterate our desire to see the gradual, orderly withdrawal of the Mission’s troops. The withdrawal of troops and the transfer of responsibilities to the Haitian authorities in matters of the military, police and development must be made according to an agreed calendar, thereby avoiding any undermining of the country’s internal or external security.
Defence and security issues are of primary importance for my Administration. I have strengthened the National Police and have developed a new defence policy, with support from the Inter-American Defence Board, through the adoption of a white paper calling for the creation of a defence force in the country. The new force will participate actively in Haiti’s development, with a focus on environmental protection, rescue efforts
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in cases of natural disaster, securing our borders and strengthening the protection of investments.
As the end of my term approaches, I am pleased and proud to have worked and will continue to work towards my country’s stability and strengthened democracy, thereby honouring my solemn commitments to the Haitian people, as well as to the international community. I am especially grateful to the various United Nations bodies that have stood by us throughout.
Haiti reaffirms its faith in the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the Organization’s efforts to promote peacebuilding and strengthen international solidarity. The elimination of extreme poverty is not beyond our reach; it is everyone’s business. In that regard, the Republic of Haiti fully supports the new Sustainable Development Goals, established pursuant to the new post-2015 development agenda in the form of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) and looks forward to their swift and effective implementation, together with the appropriate resources.
At the time of the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, the spirit that presided over its creation is more than ever alive. Faced with unprecedented global challenges, including the growing threat of global warming, Member States must ensure that the Organization works to build the impetus needed to strengthen it as a space for collaboration. A new dynamic is necessary in matters of peace and development, under which every State agrees that the use of force must be subject to law, where dialogue and the peaceful resolution of disputes emerge as the cornerstone of inter-State relations and where the
“recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world”,
as stated in resolution 217 A (III), of 10 December 1948, by which the General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.


There is a famous etching by Goya called “The Dream of Reason Produces Monsters”. Goya taught us that when reason deserts us, when it literally falls asleep, it leaves space free for the worst demons of our nature to take hold. Seventy years ago humankind awoke not from a dream, but from a nightmare. The unbridled exercise of power without the check of law or the calmness of reason produced the monsters of the Second World War and of the Shoah.
Law is the reason of States. I am referring to the law expressed through the formal foundations of a democratic, lawful State by the legitimate representatives of national sovereignty. When those foundations are overwhelmed, when the reason of law is flouted, the monsters of Goya are always lying in wait. Seventy years ago, humankind, represented by the United Nations at San Francisco, learned its lesson. The founders of the United Nations reached the conclusion that, just as States have constitutions that govern the norms of coexistence among their citizens, it was necessary for the international community to acquire its own supreme law, its own Magna Carta.
The San Francisco Charter is the constitution of humankind. Its Preamble and its purposes and principles underpin the edifice that is home to us all. Among them, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States is essential to ensure the maintenance of international peace and security. If those pillars are weakened, neglected or substituted by a will that considers itself above the law, that edifice literally will crumble on top of us and leave us out in the cold.
“A strong United Nations, a better world” is the motto with which we are commemorating the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations. There are those who will deny that. For them the United Nations is a weak Organization, one unable to respond to the challenges and threats of our time. I do not think that is true. It is clear that there are reasons for hope.
The nuclear agreement reached with Iran and the restoration of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and the prospect of a peace agreement in Colombia soon show that situations that have festered for far too long can be resolved. Spain welcomes that. Now we need to take a further step forward so that both Iran and Cuba, proud countries with very defined identities and highly qualified populations, can become
catalysts for change and contribute to stability and progress in their respective regions.
If it is possible to reach agreement in situations that many considered were unresolvable, as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Kingdom of Spain, it would be remiss of me not to mention the dispute over Gibraltar, the last colony on European territory. We want to re-initiate with the United Kingdom bilateral dialogue on the decolonization of Gibraltar based on the parameters established by the United Nations and the Brussels Declaration of 1984.
On a different tack, my country hopes that the United Kingdom will respond to the Spanish proposal of establishing a new local cooperation mechanism in the interests of social well-being and the economic development of the region. That would include participation by the local competent Gibraltarian authorities and the competent local and regional Spanish authorities.
Light predominates over the darkness in other areas too. I am thinking of the challenge of climate change. It is true that time is running out, but also that there are well-founded hopes that at the Paris summit in December we will achieve results that will allow us to stop the process of the deterioration of our common home and decisively turn things around. We therefore need a sustainable growth model, one that is equitable and leaves no one behind.
Once again, hopes have begun to turn into reality thanks to the recent adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1). His Majesty the King, who was present at the Summit where the Agenda was adopted, reiterated the commitment of our country to its implementation — a commitment already translated into acts with the establishment of a Sustainable Development Goals fund, which is initially being financed by Spain but is open to all other States and to the private sector.
I consider myself to be among those who believe that the twenty-first century will be the century of the woman, but that will only be so if we all play our part. For as the President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet Jeria, has said, equality will not happen by itself. That is why Spain has for some time been encouraging the participation and leadership of women in all dimensions of collective life. To that end, our strategic plan for equal opportunities 2014-2016 has been allocated €3.1 billion.
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We will be bringing our national commitment to equality to our presidency of the Security Council. During our presidency, on 13 October, we will hold a high-level open debate on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, to be presided over by the President of the Government of Spain. I invite everyone to take part at the highest level, because the occasion merits it.
Terrorism is the main threat to the model of the just, prosperous, equitable and open society that we seek to build for the peace and security of the international community. Spain has been hit hard by both domestic and international terrorism. Back in 1960, 55 years ago, as a result of the explosion of a bomb placed in a railway station by the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna terrorist group, a 22-month-old child, Begoña Urroz, died. Since then 850 human beings — men, women and children — have lost their lives as a result of the terrorist madness. All terrorism is born from hatred and disdain for life and is a crime against humanity. That is the basis that we work on.
But it is also true that evil manifests itself in different forms depending on the circumstances and the historical times. In our lifetime jihadist terrorism is at its most lethal insidious form. Spain too suffered at its hands. On 11 March 2004, 190 people of various nationalities, the majority workers, were killed, and more than a 1,800 people were injured.
In the case of Daesh we are up against a terrorist movement that has sought to control a territorial base from which it seeks to launch attacks and to destroy our model of civilization. Because all of us are targets, we must all form a common front against Daesh. There can be no negotiation with terrorists; they must be defeated — only lawfully, but with all of the law. That is why Spain did not hesitate to join, right from the beginning, the international coalition fighting against Daesh in Iraq at the side of the Government and the people of Iraq.
But military intervention is not enough. It is also necessary to combat radicalization, which leads so many youngsters to fill their ranks. Spain placed at the disposal of this common struggle its own experience in multilateral initiatives such as the Alliance of Civilizations, the Vienna King Abdullah International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue and the Union for the Mediterranean.
From its own experience we know that saving and keeping alive the memory of the victims is vital to prevent a repetition of such horrors. On too many occasions we have seen the victims presented as being the guilty, as though bringing their sacrifice upon themselves. If I may, another personal experience I should like to recall is that until 1997, the year that saw the assassination of Miguel Ángel Blanco, we had to bury our dead virtually in secret. In order for that not to be repeated, and so that the voice of the victims can reach all corners of the planet, on 21 October we will open up the Security Council for the sake of dignity, memory and justice.
To the same end, joining forces to combat radicalization and extremism, the Madrid Club has invited about 100 former Heads of State or Government on 27 and 28 October. Their experience will be incredibly useful to us.
Now let me refer to impunity. Spain and Romania have decided to propose the establishment of an international criminal court against terrorism. We think it is necessary for the United Nations to consider this proposal in all its scope. This would be an international jurisdictional mechanism to combat the crimes of international terrorism using the tools of international law. Such a court would complement the action of the International Criminal Court and would intervene when a State is not in a position to carry out trials itself.
Conflicts in regions such as the Middle East and in parts of Africa are the origin of the most serious migratory crisis Europe has seen since the Second World War. The images of this immense tragedy rightly move our hearts, but it is our reason that can provide solutions. Of course, what is most urgent is the humanitarian response — saving lives, providing shelter, healing and feeding. But it is important also to draw up a comprehensive asylum and integration policy that sets out the concepts of asylum and economic migration and that takes into account the rights and dignity of people who risk their lives to find a better future for themselves and their children. I think that the time has come to begin thinking about a global covenant under United Nations auspices in which countries of origin, countries of transit and host countries would all participate. Migration is a global challenge that we can solve only by working together.
I said earlier that the origin of the current migratory crisis were the festering conflicts, conflicts often
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exacerbated by lack of response from the international community and as a result of the brutality of the parties. The paradigmatic case is that of Syria — four and a half years of conflict; 250,000 lives lost; 12 million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance; 7.6 million internally displaced persons; 4 million refugees in neighbouring countries — the statistics have been calling out to us for too long.
A solution to the conflict is urgent. We must work on two fronts: first, by providing an immediate humanitarian response to assuage the suffering of the Syrian people, and, secondly, supporting the inclusive political process proposed by the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Staffan de Mistura.
There is similar urgency with regard to the conflict in Libya. We support the work of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, my compatriot Bernardino León, and we continue with impatience to seek an agreement for the formation of a Government of national accord. We call for courage and for all parties to come together to overcome the fracture of a country divided in two, and where on the horizon we can already see the black flag of Daesh just a few kilometres from our coast. Let me say that the partition of Libya would be the worst possible solution.
Of course, in the Middle East we continue to be committed to an agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that goes via the two-State solution with mutually agreed borders. We must revitalize the peace process. Spain will always be willing to support the parties to return to the path of direct negotiations.
In Africa the situation in Mali, the Central African Republic and elsewhere troubles us greatly. But it is not all darkness in that continent; there are bright spots. The response to the Ebola epidemic and the development and rebuilding plans presented by the countries affected by Ebola fill us with hope. Spain continues to be very optimistic when it comes to Africa’s future.
In Europe the main shadow, but with certain bright spots, continues to be the crisis in Ukraine, where it is vital to implement the Minsk agreements and to continue building a climate of trust so as to put an end to a conflict of a different time. We call on the parties to seek that path.
Finally, I am convinced that today the United Nations is stronger in a world that, while it is still far from perfect, is better than that world of 70 years ago.
To keep moving forward towards perfection it is crucial to respect the values and the purposes and principles of the Charter, including territorial integrity. Violation thereof, as history has taught us, is one of the preferred instruments of the monsters of Goya to put us to sleep. To avoid this it is necessary for the reason of law and that the law of reason should remain ever alert. Among the foundations are always dialogue, reconciliation and cohabitation. Without them we will be left out in the cold.


It is an honour for me to deliver the statement of the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, and to speak on his behalf.
“It gives me pleasure, on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, to extend to Mr. Mogens Lykketoft our warm congratulations and best wishes on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. I am fully confident that his statesmanship, skills and long- standing experience is our best guarantee of success at this session.
“I should also like to express profound thanks to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his great and tireless efforts in the service of international peace
and security and for his promotion of dialogue as an optimum means for addressing current global issues.
“Today, we meet 70 years after the establishment of our great Organization, and those seven decades have been spent in unabated pursuit of the noble goals for which it was founded. We should congratulate ourselves on the achievements of this eventful history, without overlooking the tremendous challenges facing the world in the areas of peace, security and sustainable development. It is our hope that the post-2015 development agenda will effectively address all those challenges. Moreover, we should all work within the framework of the United Nations system to alleviate the burden of foreign debt under which many countries suffer, which impedes their economic growth and jeopardizes their stability and social peace.
“We in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania work tirelessly for the welfare for our people through a range of development projects undertaken by the State, in cooperation with the private sector and our development partners. Over the past few years, our country has obtained remarkable results that have had a positive impact on Mauritanians’ standard of living. Unemployment has been curtailed, and we have widened the base for accessing and improving basic services so as to achieve concrete economic growth. In the area of promoting the rule of law, the Government of Mauritania has worked to strengthen the judiciary system and promote its independence so as to ensure that transparency prevails throughout public affairs.
“In recognition of the organic nexus between security and development, my country has made security and development top national priorities and is working to build a modern republican army equipped with every means to ensure the country’s territorial integrity. We have implemented a multitude of projects in the most impoverished regions and provided welfare for vulnerable groups. This policy has had a positive impact on the security of our homeland and its citizens and bolstered the pillars of social peace.
“Our security development approach does not stop there; we have also worked to promote the culture of dialogue and peaceful debate with all those who go astray by misinterpreting and misunderstanding the purposes of our Islamic religion and have fallen
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into extremism and fundamentalism. They have therefore been engaged by our clergy, under the supervision of the Government — an approach that has yielded concrete results. In order to raise awareness of the benefits of that dialogue, we hosted an international seminar under the theme “Culture of peace and moderation” in order to tackle extremism. The Mauritanian experiment is a good example to follow.
“Our region, the African Sahel, has been exposed over the past few years to a proliferation of networks of organized crime. Drugs, weapons and human beings are trafficked and smuggled through waves of illicit migration and hostage-taking; extremist organizations have also adopted terrorism as a profession and thereby endanger security throughout the region.
“In order to address and face these challenges, Mauritania has worked with its brotherly States of Chad, the Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to establish the group of five Sahel States with a view to designing a development and security framework as a platform for coordinating the resources of member countries in order to promote security and stability and to work to achieve sustainable development, as envisioned in the post-2015 agenda. In this regard, we appreciate the appointment of a Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for the Sahel, entrusted with dealing with regional issues. That augurs well for good cooperation among the group of five Sahel States and the international community in countering terrorism and organized crime and drafting rules for sound and effective sustainable development.
“Recognizing the importance of maintaining international peace and security, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania has taken the initiative to coordinate with the United Nations by participating in its peacekeeping operations. We contributed a unit of national guards that is deployed in the city of Bouaké in the sister State of Côte d’Ivoire. We are also preparing to dispatch an infantry battalion of 450 troops and a national gendarmes unit of 140 officers in order to contribute to establishing peace in the Central African Republic. That is our response to the call of duty towards our brotherly African countries in support of peace and security in our continent.
“The Islamic Republic of Mauritania is following with grave concern the serious developments in sisterly Yemen. In this regard, we support Operation Restoring Hope and the tremendous efforts undertaken by the Arab coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to restore the legitimate system of Government to sisterly Yemen, represented by brother President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour and his Government, and to implement all relevant Security Council resolutions. We hope that the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen to solidify peace and security in this sisterly country will be crowned with success.
“On the other hand, the ongoing war and massive destruction, killing and displacement of millions in Syria require us all to support every effort to bring the Syrian parties together at the negotiating table in order to find a political solution to that war, which has been raging far too long. This solution, we hope, will save Syria from further destruction and maintain its territorial integrity.
“In the same vein, we call on our brothers in Libya to agree to a political solution culminating in the formation of a national Government that would organize fair and transparent elections to put an end to the internecine hostilities that have torn Libya asunder and made it a sanctuary for extremist organizations. We trust that the patriotic spirit of the Libyan people and its leaders will move them in that direction so that a State can be established under the rule of law and the Libyan people can enjoy peace and security.
“The Arab-Israeli conflict remains a source of animosity and a threat to international peace and security in a region that is very sensitive and vital to the entire world. Despite the multitude of United Nations resolutions and negotiations that have dragged on for decades, the two parties have failed to reach a formula for a final resolution that would guarantee the rights of the Palestinian people in an independent State, with East Jerusalem as its capital. We condemn settlement activity and unilateral actions that impede the peace process. We also condemn the unjust siege imposed on the Gaza strip, with all its dire consequences for the brotherly Palestinian people.
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“Our continent of Africa faces a multitude of challenges in the economic and security spheres. The many development programmes that have been implemented with our development partners have not achieved the envisaged goals, though some measure of success has been registered. Problems relating to poverty, disease and malnutrition persist and deplete many resources of African countries.
“The outbreak and spread of the Ebola virus disease in some West African countries highlighted the severe shortcomings in the area of fighting epidemics and disease. Despite the fortitude demonstrated by those countries and the generous assistance of African countries and the international community, which stopped the spread of the disease, there is a pressing need to establish a well-developed and integrated health-care system that would protect citizens from diseases and lethal epidemics. There are also many flashpoints of conflict that impede the development of the continent and strain its resources. Despite all these challenges, many African countries succeeded in achieving many of the Millennium Development Goals and are now resolved to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1).
“Africa, with its enormous economic resources and its demographic weight, deserves to enjoy a permanent seat on the Security Council. From this rostrum, we demand that this reform be undertaken as expeditiously as possible.
“Perhaps the most viable path to achieving peace and security is to promote the culture of peace and the values of tolerance among nations, peoples and civilizations and to uphold justice for all. Leaving issues unresolved for a long time without any prospect of a solution, as well as the widening gap between the poor and the rich and the imbalance in global economic structures, have contributed to increased tension and the spread of the phenomenon of extremism and terrorism.
“We in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania reject all forms of terrorism, while firmly abiding by tolerant Islamic values that renounce violence, extremism and excess. Islamic values call for tolerance and brotherhood, and it is our belief that it is the duty of the international community to find an effective means to halt the tide of terrorism at its roots and dry up its sources.
“The pledges undertaken by the international community at the birth of the Organization will not be fully met unless and until a minimum level of justice in the production and distribution of wealth is achieved. Furthermore, we will not come full circle in delivering on the noble aspirations for which the United Nations was founded without creating conditions in which human beings can live in dignity, freedom and equality. By those means, we could achieve the noble goals for which the United Nations was established.”


It is a signal honour for me to address this body and to extend to the President on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago congratulations on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventieth session. We also express our appreciation to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Sam Kutesa of Uganda, for the many productive initiatives that he pursued to good effect during his tenure.
The President has assumed the mantle of leadership of this body at a critical juncture in the life of the Organization. Now is an opportune moment to reaffirm its founders’ guiding vision as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and to rededicate ourselves to be faithful in our joint pursuit of the goals of peace, security, development and human rights.
But, as we assess the performance and impact of the United Nations, we must also look ahead to the next phase in the life of this unique Organization, given the many challenges that confront human civilization in general and the international community in particular. Consequently, Trinidad and Tobago considers the theme of this session — “The United Nations at 70: the road ahead for peace, security and human rights” — to be both most fitting and timely.
A few days ago in this very Hall, Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the overarching framework that will guide global development for the next 15 years. Trinidad and Tobago echoes the words of the Secretary-General that the 2030 Agenda encompasses a universal, transformative and integrated agenda that heralds a historic turning point for our world. The adoption of this landmark agreement is testament to the triumph, and indeed the power and possibilities, of multilateralism, especially as it emphasizes a people’s agenda, with the promise of leaving no one behind. This ambitious and inclusive Agenda must not be lost in lofty rhetoric.
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The United Nations has as its main purposes to maintain international peace and security, to promote and protect human rights and to effectively address pressing international economic and social issues, such as development, through international cooperation.
Although in the aftermath of the Second World War the United Nations has succeeded in preventing another global war, peace still remains elusive in some parts of the world. Conflicts and tensions adversely affect countries and regions well beyond their immediate place of origin, whether through forced migration, disruption of basic public services such as health, education and sanitation or through rendering impossible the normal conduct of business activity.
Trinidad and Tobago is a strong advocate for the reform of the Security Council to better enable that body to respond to the various security and other challenges that currently confront the international community. This is especially so having regard to the fact that, in the contemporary world, warfare is no longer the exclusive preserve of nation States. Other actors, with pernicious designs, have acquired the capability to threaten States and to carry out dastardly deeds calculated to intimidate, and continue to pose serious threats to international peace and security. The United Nations must therefore respond with alacrity to those threats in a manner that is acceptable to all Member States. That is achievable if the Security Council is reformed to genuinely reflect the diversity that today characterizes and embodies the United Nations.
For small States such as Trinidad and Tobago, the maintenance of international peace and security is of paramount importance. We are keenly aware that our prospects for achieving sustainable development are inextricably linked to the safety and security of our people. However, our ability to provide such safety and security is increasingly being stretched, given that Trinidad and Tobago is located in a region heavily impacted by the trafficking of small arms and light weapons, as well as its attendant ills.
This illicit trade is transboundary in nature and is largely associated with the drug trade and its international criminal networks. Consequently, Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Community fully subscribe to the aims and objectives of the Arms Trade Treaty as a critical vehicle to address the scourge of the illicit arms trade. We do so because we understand all too well that the continued presence of this menace
in our region can, if left unchecked, undermine our peace and security and limit our progress towards sustainable development.
Trinidad and Tobago recognizes that as we celebrate the seventieth anniversary of the creation of the United Nations, the international community still grapples with the goal of the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Trinidad and Tobago and the other members of the Caribbean Community join with the countries of Latin America in celebrating our common commitment to denuclearization through the establishment of our region as the first nuclear-free zone in the world.
The disastrous humanitarian consequences of the use of the nuclear option today for a large number of people from diverse regions of the world could result in widespread suffering, dislocation of populations and increased migration, thus undermining the peace, security and development of many countries and regions. This reality should chasten all peoples, and especially the leaders of countries possessing such weapons.
Accordingly, we welcome the nuclear deal negotiated by the United States, its partners and the Islamic Republic of Iran. We wish to congratulate all the parties involved on the tenacity and patience they demonstrated in that complex and demanding process, and challenge both sides to honour their commitments.
The 2030 Agenda would not be fully implemented if the most vulnerable members of our societies — women, children, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples — are not placed at the very centre of the development paradigm. Regrettably, in some parts of the world, women and children continue to be denied fundamental human rights and freedoms, receive less pay for equal work as men and are systematically prevented from obtaining an education, all of which hinder their ability to participate in the sustainable development of their countries.
Since its independence, in 1962, Trinidad and Tobago has enacted several laws and administrative and other measures to promote and strengthen the general well-being of women and girls in society. On the international plane, we have committed to the full and effective implementation of our obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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Additionally, recognizing the progressive contribution of women to peace and development, Trinidad and Tobago has since 2010 introduced, and been the main sponsor of, the General Assembly resolution on women, disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control since the year 2010.
Our commitment to the safety and security of our citizens remains undiminished, and as we move forward it is the intention of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago to adopt a ‘whole of Government’ approach to national security, in which all ministries and national agencies will share responsibility and will be accountable for the safety of the State. To promote such an integrated and resilient approach to national security and to contribute to the attainment of sustainable development in line with the Government’s strategic vision for developed country status by 2030, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago will actively pursue mechanisms to strengthen national capacities to reduce risk and to build community resilience to threats to national security.
While time will not allow for a thorough review of our strategy, permit me to share some of the measures targeted for implementation: the development of an adaptable defence and security posture to ensure that the traditional role of the military is integrated with new roles to ensure the security of the State; the establishment of a joint border protection agency; the adoption of an intelligence-led national security architecture; and the enhancement of our disaster risk management capability policy.
The international community now accepts that climate change is a threat to our very existence. We need to be mindful, however, that this threat to humankind recognizes no boundaries, cannot be contained through high-level diplomatic talks and mediation and will weigh heavily upon developing countries, particularly small island developing States and least developed countries, thereby crippling their ability to react to external shocks to their social, economic and natural systems.
Like many other small island developing States, Trinidad and Tobago is at high risk of being severely affected by the devastating effects of climate change, and has therefore made mitigation measures a national priority, within the practical constraints of its limited financial capability. We recently witnessed the destructive effects of Tropical Storm Erika on our
fellow Caribbean State member, the Commonwealth of Dominica, which has set back that country’s development by many years.
It is undeniable, therefore, that climate change and development are closely interlinked. Recognizing the need for bold and responsible action on the part of all Governments, albeit on the basis of common but differentiated responsibility, Trinidad and Tobago has adopted a proactive posture and has submitted its intended nationally determined contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change ahead of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference. It is our expectation, in conformity with that of the Caribbean Community, that any credible agreement from the Paris Conference must set the world on a path to decarbonization of the global economy before the end of the century. In order to achieve that, the agreement must be legally binding and contain provisions on mitigation, adaptation, finance, transparency and compliance that would ensure that the increase in average global temperatures can be limited to less than l.5° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. An ambitious agreement in Paris is therefore also an imperative for the maintenance of international peace and security in the medium to long term. Trinidad and Tobago is committed to work with all States to achieve a new legally binding balanced framework for global cooperation on climate change.
In the area of governance of the oceans, it is well established in international law that the utilization of resources of any kind beyond areas of national jurisdiction must be consistent with the principles under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. In that regard, Trinidad and Tobago looks forward to active participation by all States in the Preparatory Committee on the development of an international legally binding instrument on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity beyond areas of national jurisdiction, for the benefit of all humankind.
The quest for economic and social justice for many cannot be divorced from the fervent desire of all peoples to live in freedom and without fear of persecution. In that regard, the growing religious and ethnic diversity of our societies highlights the ever-present need for mutual respect and appreciation for the value of diversity that today is a defining characteristic of many countries and communities. A lack of such tolerance and respect for human rights and human diversity has
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fuelled once again in our lifetime the horrific crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. With a view to ensuring accountability for those accused of committing such crimes, and in order to act as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators, the international community established the International Criminal Court (ICC). Trinidad and Tobago calls upon all States that have not as yet done so to support the ICC.
We applaud the initiation of steps towards full rapprochement between the United States and Cuba, which has so far, among other things, been exemplified through the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between the two States, thus reducing tensions in our hemisphere. Trinidad and Tobago hopes that, sooner rather than later, that process will mature with the lifting of the anachronistic economic embargo and blockade that for too long has undermined the economic development of Cuba.
While we are very much encouraged by the easing of tensions in the northern Caribbean with the resumption of dialogue between the United States and Cuba, we are concerned by the recent developments surrounding the protracted border controversy between our neighbours, Venezuela and Guyana. Trinidad and Tobago remains convinced that the controversy should be settled by pacific means in keeping with the Charter of the United Nations.
At the same time, Trinidad and Tobago reiterates the position of the Caribbean Community on the matter concerning citizens of the Dominican Republic of Haitian ancestry and calls on the Dominican Republic to ensure that the human rights of these citizens do not continue to be infringed and are honoured in accordance with international law.
Once again, the failure to find a permanent solution to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict remains of deep concern to Trinidad and Tobago. That situation affects the ability of both sides to live in peace and security and also impinges on the right of the Palestinians to self-determination. It is our hope that both sides will work together with others in resolving this decades-old problem, resulting in the establishment of a Palestinian State with clearly defined borders, coexisting in peace and security alongside the State of Israel.
The United Nations must adapt to the ever-changing geopolitical environment as well as the emerging economic and social landscape. Trinidad and Tobago
therefore emphasizes the imperative to move with greater alacrity on the question of the revitalization of the General Assembly in order to ensure the effective execution of its mandate. The General Assembly is the only institution or grouping of States that possesses the inclusiveness, and indeed the legitimacy, to act on behalf of the international community. We must therefore spare no effort to make it a more effective and dynamic instrument in the service of all the peoples of the world, elevating none about others and respecting and defending the rights of all.
Trinidad and Tobago commits to continue to play its part at the regional and global levels to ensure that we avoid the pitfalls experienced by the United Nations. We will work faithfully with others to build on the tremendous progress made by this institution over the seven decades of its life in order to bring about a greater commitment by all States to peace, security and human rights for all peoples of the world so that they may live in larger freedom and continuing prosperity.