Every year we come
together in this great Hall of the United Nations, to

10-55264 32

reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism. Nations
big and small, rich and poor, gather from the four
corners of the world here at the United Nations, driven
by the conviction that, if we work together, we will
find solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.
As these challenges grow and become more
interconnected, so grows our conviction that only
through cooperation and dialogue can we resolve them.
This is the fundamental belief with which, for 55 years,
the Bulgarian delegation, like many others, has come
to the United Nations.
 Like every day, today will be unique, because our
actions on this day will forge our tomorrows. We can
spend our time dwelling on the past, or we can invest
our time in the future that we will all face together.
Today, our world faces a complicated web of
challenges, but also of opportunities. We face the
challenge of addressing global climate change by
creating opportunities for sustainable development. We
face the challenge of reducing the conflicts and
opportunities that come from providing sufficient clean
water to millions of people. We face the challenge of
developing an ethical market economy and the
countless opportunities that will emerge from reducing
the poverty gap. We face the challenge of reducing
ethnic conflicts, terrorism and the spread of weapons of
mass destruction and the opportunities that come from
good governance, democracy and freedom. We may
also, perhaps, address the most paramount challenge of
our time: to prove wrong all those who believe that the
world is heading towards an irreversible clash of
civilizations — because none of the global challenges
that we face today can be understood, tackled or
addressed without respect for different opinions,
without dialogue between faiths and without adherence
to the global values enshrined in the Charter of the
United Nations. On behalf of the Government of Bulgaria, I
congratulate Mr. Deiss on the assumption of the
presidency of this Assembly at this sixty-fifth session.
Our appreciation also goes to Mr. Ali Treki for his
leadership during the previous session, and to Mr. Ban
Ki-moon for his efforts to strengthen and promote the
United Nations.
Let me begin by welcoming the results of the
High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly
on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Regardless of the fact that efforts to achieve the MDGs
have not stayed on course, their attainment is still
within our reach. Reaffirming the principle of
solidarity between those who have and those who need
is of the essence. My country faces challenges imposed
by the global economic and financial crisis. We have,
however, committed ourselves to develop our own
donor capacity, and so we shall. We shall do so,
because Bulgaria — like a number of countries that
have joined the European Union (EU) since the fall of
the Berlin Wall — understands that the solidarity that
was extended to us now needs to be extended by us to
those less fortunate. To be effective, we shall work in
close coordination with our partners, avoid duplication
and aim at addressing the root causes — not the
symptoms — of today’s problems. Otherwise, we will
not be building a better tomorrow. In this effort the role
of the United Nations will always remain vitally
important, particularly in helping to mitigate the
development impact of the crisis on the less developed
and most vulnerable countries.
 As dangerous as the current global crisis is, it
also gives us a chance to green our economies,
particularly by putting them on a sustainable and
low-carbon path. This year, 2010, has been proclaimed
as the International Year of Biodiversity. Economic
growth and the preservation of the environment must
go hand-in-hand across the globe. Today there can be
no excuses — neither in developed countries, nor in
developing countries — because any excuse that we
find today will cost us more tomorrow. That is why
Bulgaria believes that the United Nations must be
given the tools to respond adequately to the increasing
challenges of environmental protection.
 Today, much more so than in the past, we see
increased demand and pressure on international
humanitarian efforts. The devastating earthquake in
Haiti last year killed hundreds of thousands and left a
staggering 20 per cent of the population homeless.
Haiti’s call was, however, heeded throughout the globe.
Allow me to praise the work of the United Nations and
its agencies in responding quickly, but also pay tribute
to all of the countries, non governmental organizations
and individuals who came quickly to Haiti’s assistance.
The Bulgarian Government and people were quick to
respond by providing financial and in kind assistance,
including educational opportunities to young Haitians
whose universities had been destroyed.

33 10-55264

 This year we have to help in the struggle of the
20 million people in Pakistan who have been affected
by the terrible floods that have wrecked lives, ruined
crops and destroyed economic opportunities. The
Secretary-General and the United Nations were swift to
react and deserve praise for their efforts, as does the
rapid reaction of the European Union, the United
States, India and other partners around the world.
Allow me to use this forum to call on all to strengthen
their efforts in assisting the people of Pakistan.
However, I also call on Governments across the globe
to help in removing barriers, so as to assist the
Pakistani economy in its recovery. Helping today and
creating opportunities tomorrow — that should be our
goal in a country that is vital to global stability and
security. In this, let me assure you that Bulgaria will
also shoulder its share of the needed solidarity. Already
the Government and the Bulgarian Red Cross have
launched a nation-wide campaign to raise funds and
contribute to the rebuilding efforts in Pakistan.
 No matter how successful we are in our
development and humanitarian efforts, the benefits
cannot fully be borne in an insecure and unstable
environment. Allow me to briefly look closer to home
— the Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean. The
European Union was created to make war impossible in
a continent that has seen at least a century of conflicts.
In Europe, however, we have unfinished business.
Europe will not be whole and complete until our
neighbours in the Balkans join our Union. It falls on
us — those who joined the European Union late, not by
their own choice, but because of the ideological
divisions of the cold war — to say it loud and clear: to
make war impossible in the Balkans we must see all
countries that have emerged from the former
Yugoslavia become part of the European Union. This is
our historic mission. It is our destiny.
 Bulgaria, which has struggled with its own
transition and accession to the European Union, knows
the benefits and the challenges best. That is why today
I am proud to stand here and commend the General
Assembly for unanimously adopting resolution 64/298,
approving the joint EU Serbia compromise text on the
advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice
on the declaration of independence by Kosovo.
Bulgaria supported it wholeheartedly, because we
firmly believe that dialogue between Belgrade and
Pristina is key, both to the stability of the region and to
the European perspective of our neighbours. It will be
a difficult process, charged with emotion and scarred
by history, but it will be a process that can today lay
the foundations of a better tomorrow for all. It is a
process that the Bulgarian Government is not just
willing, but eager to support, and will lend all
necessary assistance to the efforts of the High
Representative of the European Union for Foreign
Affairs and Security.
 In Bosnia and Herzegovina the international
community faces many challenges, but the struggle
between the fears of yesterday and the opportunities of
tomorrow can be resolved today by the people of
Bosnia themselves. Bulgaria will, more actively than
ever, contribute to this reconciliation, because we
believe that our role in South-Eastern Europe and
beyond is to bring people together, not divide them; to
seek solutions, not to watch from the sidelines.
 We must constantly reaffirm our commitment to
bring our neighbours in the Western Balkans into the
European Union when they meet the criteria for
membership. But our neighbours also must reaffirm
their own commitment to undertaking often very
difficult reforms and strengthening regional
cooperation and good-neighbourly relations.
 There are cynics who say that the world cannot
live together, that for peace to exist we must build
walls of separation between peoples, religions and
ethnic communities; cynics who say that civilizations
must clash. I come from a country that is in a turbulent
part of the world, yet we have managed to prove that
people of different religions — Christians, Muslims
and Jews, and of different ethnicities — Bulgarians,
Turks and Armenians, can live together.
 Bulgaria has seen stellar moments in its history,
for example, when civil society rose during the Second
World War and refused to allow its Jewish population
to be sent to concentration camps, or when it integrated
its Turkish population after the end of communism.
But, it has also seen its dark moments — when it failed
to save the Jewish populations of occupied Northern
Greece and Vardar Macedonia, or when the Communist
regime expelled a large part of our Muslim citizens to
Turkey. Our history has taught us to be able to
distinguish between good and bad. Our history proves
that the cynics are wrong, that people can live together
in peace.
 That is why Bulgaria cannot remain uninterested
in the Middle East. We believe that, just as the Jewish

10-55264 34

people have a homeland in the State of Israel, so the
Palestinian people have the right to an independent
State of Palestine that lives in peace with its
neighbours. During the past months we have all
witnessed the efforts of the United States
Administration to restart the direct negotiations
between the Israelis and Palestinians. Many of us have
made passionate speeches on the need and urgency of
peace. Today, the Palestinian and Israeli leaders face
the historic challenge of looking to tomorrow and not
being tied down by yesterday. The Middle East cannot
afford a failed peace process. The world cannot afford
a peace process that does not have a comprehensive
end goal in sight.
 Today we must all recognize that hard decisions
are called for and lend our full support to President
Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu to help them
walk the hard road to peace. Obstacles should be
overcome and preconditions should be removed. If the
leaders of Palestine believe that settlement policy is an
obstacle to peace, the leaders of Israel must refrain
from such activities in order to give peace a chance. If
the leaders of Israel believe that no preconditions to a
final settlement should be put in place, then the
Palestinian leaders must refrain from such actions in
order to give peace a chance.
 The choice today is not between peace
negotiations and economic development, because peace
and prosperity go hand in hand. No one should feel
singled out or left behind, because the enemies of
peace are many — those who feel that walls are safer
than bridges and those who feel that religions cannot
coexist. You can take away a man’s life, but you
ultimately cannot take away his faith or dignity.
 This is why I call on all Members of the United
Nations to stand firmly behind the efforts of the Israeli
and Palestinian leaders to achieve peace. In doing this,
we must recognize the legitimate concerns of both
sides — Israel’s security and the viability of a
Palestinian State.
 In this effort we should not forget the 1.5 million
people who live in Gaza — Palestinians who have the
right to a better life, just like the children of Sderot
have the right to go to school without the threat of
rockets. We have an obligation to help open up access
to Gaza without compromising the security of Israel.
History has proven that isolation and deprivation breed
radicalism, and it is in the interest of peace that more
opportunities be created.
 Today the world faces other grave security
challenges that will shape our tomorrow. We must
reconfirm our commitment to halting the spread of
nuclear weapons. This mission is above politics,
diplomacy, national ambitions and personal egos. It is
our universal obligation and a joint commitment that
we undertook 40 years ago. Bulgaria believes that
every nation must put a strengthened Treaty on the
Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) at the
centre of its national diplomacy. The uncovering of
clandestine nuclear networks has brought the spectre of
non State actors equipped with weapons of mass
destruction closer. We must not allow this to happen.
All nations must recognize that the nuclear non
proliferation regime is undermined if violators are
allowed to act with impunity. We consider all States
parties, including the Democratic People’s Republic of
Korea, to be bound by their NPT obligations.
 Leaving the NPT cannot be without
consequences. Justified concerns, however, remain also
about the nuclear programme of the Islamic Republic
of Iran. We call on Iran to deploy the necessary
confidence-building measures to provide for greater
transparency on its nuclear activities. Bulgaria believes
that it is important to find a diplomatic solution. The
recent efforts by Turkey and Brazil illustrate that there
is will in the international community for dialogue.
Therefore, a swift return to the negotiation table and
full compliance with United Nations Security Council
resolutions, as well as International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) standards and safeguards is a must.
 International terrorism is one of the most serious
contemporary threats to global peace and security. It
cannot be justified by any political, philosophical,
ideological, racial or ethnic considerations, nor by any
ideology. The end goal of terrorism is to hinder our
efforts to guarantee human rights, basic freedoms and
democracy. Within the framework of the European
Union, Bulgaria has endorsed the implementation of
the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
I appeal for a prompt finalization of the negotiations to
reach a comprehensive convention on counter-
terrorism.
 An old nefarious practice has re-emerged on the
high seas — piracy. Bulgaria has been directly affected
by the escalating activities and audacity of the pirates

35 10-55264

in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. The
fight against piracy leaves much to be desired,
however. We need a firm international legal framework
for the trial, detention and imprisonment of persons
suspected of having committed acts of piracy. We need
coordinated actions on the high seas to protect our
shipping. Perhaps most of all, we need to address the
root causes of piracy — poverty, isolation and lack of
opportunity.
 In Afghanistan, we face a threat that demands the
continued military and civilian commitment on the part
of the international community, which hinges on two
important factors. Firstly, the ability of the Afghan
Government to pave the way for reconciliation, tackle
corruption and deliver services to its people and the
renewed commitment of the international community
and regional neighbours to strengthen the Afghan
National Security Forces, while maintaining the
pressure on radicals and insurgents and limiting their
scope of action.
 In these tasks the coordinated efforts of all, but
foremost of the United Nations, NATO and the
European Union, are vital. I would like to strongly
support the work of the United Nations Assistance
Mission in Afghanistan and the Special Representative
of the Secretary-General, Staffan de Mistura, in
Afghanistan. Their efforts should be appreciated and
fully supported by the international community. I want
to also pay tribute to the brave men and women of all
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF)
contributing nations, including the roughly 600
Bulgarian troops, who risk their lives to bring security
to the people of Afghanistan.
 Bulgaria’s commitment to the future of
Afghanistan is unfaltering, because we understand that
it is our joint obligation to bring security to that
tortured country, whose people deserve to be able to
enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that many of us
have. Bulgaria has increased its input to ISAF,
including through more training units, which will work
to build the capacity of the Afghan security forces. We
continue to support the European Union Police Mission
in Afghanistan, which, jointly with NATO’s Training
Mission, plays an important role. We support the
Afghan Government’s peace and reintegration
programme, in which the key role should be played by
the Afghan State. Our commitment to Afghanistan is
based on our firm belief that, if we succeed today, we
will all live safer tomorrow.
 A comprehensive security system can rest only on
a robust partnership between the United Nations and
regional organizations. This is why Bulgaria believes
that the partnership between the European Union and
the United Nations is a strategic one. As the EU High
Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,
Catherine Ashton, put it, “Our commitment to the
multilateral system of global governance through the
UN and other bodies is clear” and we work “with
conviction and clarity on the major challenges that face
us, be they climate change, poverty, conflict or
terrorism”.
 The transformation of the EU into a legal subject
of international relations after the entry into force of
the Treaty of Lisbon has to be adequately reflected in a
resolution of the General Assembly regarding the
representation of the EU at the United Nations.
 In closing, let me briefly touch on the reform of
the United Nations. Bulgaria is convinced that if we
are to effectively tackle the challenges of tomorrow, we
must continuously adapt and improve the United
Nations system. Therefore it is imperative that we
continue the course of reforms initiated by the 2005
World Summit.
 We believe that the reform of the Security
Council is part of a comprehensive agenda for change
at the United Nations. Bulgaria declares itself in favour
of an enlargement of the Security Council capable of
generating the largest possible consensus. In that
context, Bulgaria has endorsed the enlargement of the
Council in its two categories — permanent and non
permanent members.
 I started by reiterating our firm commitment to
multilateralism. The agenda of the United Nations is
broad and diverse, and I have attempted, on behalf of
the Government of Bulgaria, to briefly touch on just
some of the issues that ought to be discussed in this
forum.
 Our commitment to multilateralism can be
equalled only by our unfaltering belief that dialogue
and diplomacy can achieve more than can
confrontation and war. More than half a century ago,
the United Nations came together and enshrined those
principles as the cornerstones of international law.
Since then, with varying degrees of success, we have
attempted to live by them. It is time for us to realize
that the global challenges of tomorrow can be tackled
only by collective action today. Nothing is impossible,

10-55264 36

but only if we work together, discuss, disagree and
agree, but share a goal — a peaceful and prosperous
world that is safe for all.


Allow me to convey the
greetings of the Filipino people to the President of the
General Assembly and the representatives gathered
here for the sixty-fifth session of the Assembly.
 The United Nations was founded on the belief
that in collective action lies collective security. It is
when nations reach across their borders that the
immense problems of our age begin to be manageable.
In a world that has become increasingly globalized, the
challenges that we face have become globalized as
well. Climate change; pandemics; terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction; transnational organized
crime such as human trafficking and the illicit drug
trade; the continuing vulnerability of migrants, women,
persons with disabilities and the poor; and the
challenges posed by increasingly interconnected
economies — all call for a further strengthening of
international cooperation.
 All of us here, representing our respective
nations, are stewards entrusted with the well-being of
our respective peoples. We are also required to be
responsible and responsive members of the community
of nations. Clearly, we are already aware that the
problem of one poses a problem for all. Any solution,
then, depends on us recognizing that each one of our
nations exists, not in a vacuum, but rather in an
increasingly interdependent global milieu.
 The central revelation here is that for humanity to
progress, all nations must progress as one. The quest
for universal human dignity should not be defined by
geographical, racial or cultural boundaries, nor should
it be set back by our desires to move our own nations
forward. Global progress means equitable progress.
The industrialized nations of the world can look with
pride on the living standards their peoples enjoy. But,
as one of my distinguished predecessors once said:
“Those who have less in life should have more in law”.
 This basic principle of social justice is also the
most basic humanitarian challenge of our times. The
wealth of nations must become an instrument to move
the world further along the straight and righteous path
of compassion and communal responsibility. The
message is clear: there are those who need help, and
acting with compassion towards those who need help is
a response that is both humane and necessary. This idea
has been trumpeted for decades, and yet combating
inequality remains one of the greatest challenges of our
times. The chasm between the powerful and the
powerless, the haves and the have-nots remains to be
bridged. The past century has demonstrated, in terms
so stark that it inspired the creation of this
Organization, that when the mighty clash, those who
have less end up trampled. This is true where conflict
exists and true where markets exist; true in our nation
and true in an international context.
 The concept of vulnerability and inequality is all
too clear in the global effort to address climate change.
Those who stand to lose much, if not everything, from
the effects of man-induced climatic conditions are
those who did little to cause it. There is an enormous
need to ensure, as a matter of justice, that countries,
particularly those that are vulnerable, are assisted in
their adaptation and disaster risk-reduction efforts and
are provided the necessary resources to build climate-
resilient communities. This should go hand in hand
with ambitious commitments by major economies to
significantly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
 Many of you may say that you have already given
mightily of your resources. But surely we do not need
flood and famine to remind us that there is so much
more that must be given, because there are so many
more who deserve the hope of a better life.
 The most immediate focus of cooperation
demanded of us today is to collectively ensure that the
eight Millennium Development Goals will be achieved
by all in the remaining five years. That is a daunting
task, and we are all aware that national resolve has to
be complemented by bilateral, regional and multilateral
cooperation.
 Rising to the challenges of our era requires,
within each of our countries, a strengthened regulatory
system. This does not mean a cumbersome, intrusive
Government, but rather a Government that allows
private enterprise to thrive, while ensuring that it
remains cognizant of its social responsibilities and
empowers it, in turn, to fulfil those responsibilities.
Many Governments are tackling this challenge,
including the Government of the Philippines. Our
Administration pledges to channel any gains we reap

27 10-54965

from public-private partnerships into social services,
like those in health, education and poverty alleviation.
 Across boundaries, the battle against inequality
requires a balanced approach from those in authority.
We should be conscious of our responsibilities to our
own people and of our duties to regions and the globe.
Already we are witnessing a rethinking of traditional
paradigms, a shifting of our focus towards ensuring
that the global system does not leave anyone behind.
 And while my nation continues to benefit from
the compassion of those who are able to help, this does
not mean that we or our friends in the developing
world will be entirely dependent on the largesse of the
developed world. We will not be passive players in our
quest for development. My nation remains active in the
Group of 77 and in other efforts aimed at enhancing
South-South cooperation and articulating and
promoting our collective economic interests.
 This is what our people put us in power for. This
is what the world expects of us as leaders — to be
exemplars of what it is to be compassionate human
beings and vanguards of hope for our common
humanity. For is not this hope also the hope that unites
us as human beings? It is the same hope that allows us
to break down walls of mistrust, which may take the
form of intolerance, fear or violence. It is the same
hope that leads us to gather in this Hall as our
predecessors did. It is the same hope that will give our
generation of leaders the strength to elevate this global
Assembly to a place where, collectively, the nations of
the world are able to find ways to make a better life
possible for all.
 There have been many times in our history when
my people have shown that, united, nothing is
impossible. We call it “people power”. It is my earnest
hope and in the greatest interests of humanity that we
harness the energies of dialogue, solidarity and
communal responsibility so that a global “people
power” towards equitable progress may be achieved.


First of
all, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your
assumption of the presidency of this session of the
General Assembly. Your character, distinguished career
and knowledge of current international affairs will
surely contribute to the management and success of our
work. I would like to convey Algeria’s full support for
your efforts in the course of your term of office. I also
pay tribute to your predecessor, my brother Ali
Abdussalam Treki, for his efforts and commitment to
the principles of multilateralism and respect for the
founding values of the Charter. Additionally, I wish to
express our satisfaction and gratitude to Secretary-
General Ban Ki-moon for the breadth and quality of
the efforts which he has tirelessly exerted to add to the
role of the Organization in our joint quest to achieve
and strengthen its ideals.
 Despite the recent emergence of some
encouraging signs of economic recovery, the world
continues to suffer from the aftermath of the financial
and economic crisis. The steps taken thus far to address
its most devastating effects and to relaunch the global
economic engine lead us to believe even more firmly

39 10-55122

that the best way to prevent worse crises from
occurring is to rethink global financial and economic
governance in a rational manner that leaves no room
for speculation and the vagaries of the market and that
serves as a fair model for developing countries.
 The main trends in the world since the last
session have led us to examine the depth of the
economic crisis in the poorest countries, especially in
Africa. Crises such as this hamper progress in the
achievement of the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), notably in the areas of maternal and child
health and in combating poverty. It is important that
the international community respect its commitments
in the area of official development assistance and
provide recipient countries with additional assistance
so that they can achieve the Millennium Development
Goals. Several options could be explored in that
regard, some of which seem very promising to us. They
include debt moratoriums for developing countries that
have difficulty in paying their debts and easier access
to the markets of developed countries.
 The fact that a high-level meeting on biodiversity
will take place in a few weeks’ time in Nagoya, Japan,
provides us with a valuable opportunity to launch an
urgent appeal requesting the international community
to mobilize to preserve the biological resources of our
planet, which are being threatened by unbridled
economic development that does not take future
generations into account. In that context, I would like
to stress the need to strengthen the role of the United
Nations in protecting biodiversity in developing
countries and in promoting North-South cooperation
that is mutually beneficial.
 The issue of climate change presents another
considerable challenge for the international
community, given the manifold threats it poses to
ecosystems and economies. The limited and modest
results achieved in Copenhagen should serve to
encourage all States to redouble their efforts to make
progress at the next meeting of the Conference of the
Parties, to be held in Cancún, towards establishing a
legally binding agreement based on the Kyoto
Protocol’s Framework Convention.
 No doubt due to climate change, the extreme
gravity of the natural phenomena that have lately
plunged Pakistan, Russia, China, India and other
countries into disaster means that we need to
restructure international mechanisms to respond to
natural disasters of this kind. On the basis of humanism
and solidarity, Algeria launches an appeal for a joint
international reflection on the best way to achieve
genuine comprehensive natural disaster management.
 Countries that do not possess nuclear weapons,
such as Algeria, have the right to ask nuclear States to
truly embrace nuclear disarmament. The results of the
2010 eighth Review Conference of the Parties to the
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons
constitute a positive step in that regard, thanks in
particular to the launching of a process that should give
rise to a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East.
 In order to rise to the multiple challenges
confronting international peace and security, the
Conference on Disarmament should make the most of
the favourable international circumstances and the
positive momentum generated by the results of the
2010 Review Conference to restart its work and
comply with its mandate. To that end, Algeria
continues to be committed to the effective relaunching
of the work of the Conference on Disarmament.
Algeria believes that the goals and contents of the
programme adopted in 2009 continue to be valid today
and could be the basis for the work of future sessions.
 The issue of peace and security is also linked to
the exacerbation of terrorism and its links with
transnational organized crime, the taking of hostages
and trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings. My
country welcomes the adoption of resolution 1904
(2009), on criminalizing the payment of ransoms to
armed groups based on the principle that this
condemnable practice is a significant source of
financing for terrorism. Nevertheless, the international
community must still make considerable efforts to
eradicate this transnational threat, not just in the
context of comprehensive and systematic
implementation but also in the light of the increase in
hostage-taking by terrorists and the payment of
ransoms to them. This is an issue that must be
addressed with determination, strength and
responsibility.
 Algeria calls on the international community to
act to prevent the criminal use of international satellite
images via the Internet. We believe that the
comprehensive treaty to combat terrorism, which
Algeria fully supports, will be a main factor in
checking piracy, once it has been adopted.

10-55122 40

 With regard to respect for the principles
enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, Algeria
fully participates in regional integration attempts as a
crucial element in combating international terrorism.
Algeria has launched several recent initiatives,
including an initiative to strengthen bilateral and
regional cooperation among States in our region in
order to bolster peace, security and development. It is
committed to pursuing common efforts to build the
Arab Maghreb union and endow it with dynamic
institutions to ensure that the project comes into being
as the ideal framework for economic cooperation and
complementarity in the region. It has also launched
Maghreb-wide economic and social programmes and
development projects to encourage regional
integration.
 The Palestinian people, who continue to aspire to
build a viable State, are still held hostage by the
indecision of certain parties. That is being aggravated
by policies of aggression and unjust siege. We reiterate
our call to the international community to show resolve
and unity with regard to this conflict by bringing
pressure to bear on the occupation forces. We believe
that a definitive, comprehensive and just solution
requires the implementation of the Arab Peace
Initiative. In that context, on behalf of the Algerian
people and Government, I should like to express our
friendship and support to our Palestinian brothers.
 Algeria would like to see an immediate halt to
settlements, the return of Palestinian refugees, the
return of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians as the
capital of a Palestinian State and a return to the borders
of 4 June 1967. The other occupied Arab territories in
Lebanon and the Golan should also be returned.
 As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the
adoption of resolution 1514 (XV), which enshrined the
principle of freeing oppressed people from the yoke of
colonialism, we unfortunately continue to see that there
still exist Non-Self-Governing Territories whose
populations continue to aspire to self-determination. To
that end, and in keeping with our duties and
responsibilities, Algeria is willing to extend its full
support to the efforts of the United Nations and of
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Christopher
Ross in order to resolve the Western Sahara conflict.
We express our adherence to the human rights
dimension of the issue and the need for it to be taken
into account by the Human Rights Council and other
international mechanisms in that area, in line with the
relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter, so as
to reach a just political solution that allows the people
of Western Sahara to exercise their right to self-
determination through a referendum. I reiterate my
country’s belief, in line with the view of the African
Union Summit held in Kampala, that there cannot be
an international justice system that operates at two
different speeds and focuses on a single region of the
world, for this issue poses a threat to regional peace
and security.
 Algeria also rejects the imposition of
extraterritorial laws and rules and all forms of coercive
economic measures, including unilateral sanctions
against developing countries. In that regard, Algeria
reiterates the need to end the economic, commercial
and financial embargo that has been imposed against
the Cuban Government and people for more than half a
century.
 The African Union has proclaimed 2010 the Year
of Peace and Security in Africa, as an expression of the
will of its member States to make every peaceful effort
to resolve all ongoing and new conflicts and crises on
our continent. We encourage the African Union to
integrate economically and politically so that it can
become a partner to reckon with in international
affairs.


I am pleased to address the
General Assembly. This year, I shall focus on three
pressing global matters: the progress in achieving the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), promoting
peace and security, and humanitarian affairs.
 During the first decade of this millennium, the
MDGs have triggered a level of global commitment
and wide-ranging partnership that the world has never
seen before. Along the way, there have been setbacks,
of course. One thing, however, is certain — achieving
the MDGs is an attainable reality with concrete targets
and deadlines.
 We have set a clear goal, but we must keep in
mind that we shall reach our objective only if we share
the weight of responsibility and all of us pull in the
same direction. The political will expressed by a
majority of stakeholders at the recent MDG summit
and in its outcome document (resolution 65/1) needs to
be implemented promptly, in accordance with the
agreed action agenda. Only five years, after all, remain.
Estonia is ready to provide continuous contributions to
the success of our common endeavour.
 Estonia contributes towards the achievement of
the MDGs through focused development cooperation
policy and respective activities in our main partner
countries, one of which is Afghanistan. Alongside with
providing security through the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF), we are carrying out long-
term health care and education projects in Helmand
province. We also offer our best practices in

10-54965 24

establishing standards of good governance, including
the creation of an electronic voting system for the
newly elected Parliament.
 Estonia supports the transition process, including
the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to the
Afghan authorities. This process should be term-based
and irreversible, and carried out according to the
agreement reached at the ISAF meeting in Tallinn last
April. Ownership of the process on the part of the
Afghan Government is crucial in taking forward the
pledge it made at the Kabul Conference with regard to
strengthening the electoral framework. This, along with
the endorsed reform agenda, demonstrates the Afghans’
desire to develop their nation.
 For my country, Estonia, the development of
information and communications technology has been
a crucial engine of economic development and
modernization throughout the past 20 years. This is
why our experts advise Governments on information
and communications technology solutions in many
parts of the world. In cooperation with the United
Nations Development Programme and the Open
Society Institute, we have established a special
academy to assist Governments in developing countries
with advice and training in electronic governance and
the use of information and communications technology
in public services. I am convinced that the more
successful we are in reducing the digital divide, the
more accelerated and more sustainable overall
economic progress will be.
 I commend United Nations efforts in paving the
way towards a more efficient operational system,
especially the long-awaited outcome of the four-year
system-wide coherence negotiations. As the
implications of gender inequality affect all the
Millennium Development Goals, the consensus
agreement on establishing the United Nations Entity
for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women
(UN Women) will serve as an extra boost for meeting
those Goals.
 Estonia contributes to the achievement of the
Millennium Goals through the respective United
Nations agencies, funds and programmes, and we
pledge our support to UN Women as well.
 Ever since the United Nations Charter was
signed, 65 years ago, the United Nations has stood for
global peace and security. The United Nations
peacekeeping budget has increased more than 15-fold
since 1991. It is difficult to imagine the situation in
major crisis areas, such as the Sudan and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, without the active,
multifaceted engagement of the United Nations. With
its 15 military and 12 political operations, however, the
United Nations peacekeeping force is clearly stretched
thin. We need further reforms in order to enhance the
effectiveness of peacekeeping operations and to
encourage regional actors to assume a stronger role.
Estonia contributes to the United Nations peacekeeping
budget at a voluntarily enhanced rate. We have done
this for 10 years now and will continue to do so.
 The credibility of the United Nations in the
promotion of peace and security depends on the
commitment of all Member States. We all share equally
the responsibility to apply the principles enshrined in
the Charter, including the duty to refrain from any
threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or
political independence of any State.
 Estonia reiterates its firm support for the
sovereignty, territorial integrity, security and stability
of Georgia, on the basis of full adherence to
international law. For the peaceful resolution of that
drawn-out conflict, it is necessary to continue the
Geneva talks in their initial format. Humanitarian
issues, in particular ensuring the safe and dignified
return of refugees and internally displaced persons, and
the question of increased access to the conflict zone,
especially for humanitarian workers and international
observers, need to be seriously addressed now.
Furthermore, the free movement of people living
within the internationally recognized borders of
Georgia must be ensured.
 Without justice, efforts to ensure sustainable
peace might easily be wiped out. I would like,
therefore, to emphasize the importance of the adoption
by consensus of a package of amendments on the crime
of aggression by the Review Conference of the Rome
Statute of the International Criminal Court, held in
June 2010. Estonia strongly supports an international
criminal justice system in which an independent and
effective International Criminal Court plays a central
role.
 It is also of crucial importance to support the
activities of the International Criminal Tribunal for the
Former Yugoslavia during its final years of existence.
Estonia is doing its share with respect to the
enforcement of sentences.

25 10-54965

 Success in confronting the security challenges of
the twenty-first century, including cyberthreats,
depends on close cooperation among all States and
international and regional organizations. Estonia urges
broad cross-border and cross-sector capacity-building
in protecting critical information infrastructure, the
importance of which was highlighted in the report of
the high-level panel of experts on information and
communication technology (A/55/75). The necessity of
closer cooperation among States, between the private
sector and civil society, is critical, since during a cyber
attack all traditional security measures may be
rendered useless. I can assure you that all-
encompassing preparedness will pay off when a real
crisis strikes.
 Estonia remains actively engaged in areas where
our contribution can make a difference, particularly in
humanitarian affairs and human rights issues. In this
context, I would like to draw attention to the tenth
anniversary of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000)
on women, peace and security, which must be a
stepping stone towards further action at the United
Nations, regional and national levels. Establishing
operational guidelines for the protection of women and
girls, strengthening accountability mechanisms and
enhancing women’s participation in peace negotiations
and post-conflict peacebuilding should be part of these
efforts. To this end, Estonia is finalizing a national
action plan to enhance our activities.
Estonia is a strong and principled advocate of
human rights and fundamental freedoms, including the
freedom of expression. Estonia supports the
strengthening of the Human Rights Council and its
capacity to promote and protect human rights around
the world. We aspire to join the Human Rights Council
in 2012.
 Estonia has also continuously increased its
contribution to United Nations humanitarian activities,
both through work in the field and financially. The
United Nations coordination capability was crucial
most recently in Pakistan and at the beginning of the
year in Haiti, where it saved lives, and where Estonian
logistics experts have been supporting United Nations
activities on the ground for more than six months now.
Our experience has made clear the need for more
combined efforts in securing the link between relief
efforts and development work.
 Estonia is concerned about increasingly frequent
violations of humanitarian principles in conflict zones.
Alas, humanitarian emblems and flags no longer
provide the shield of protection they used to. We must
step up our efforts and press for increased security for
humanitarian aid workers. After all, it is the
responsibility of Governments to ensure the safety and
security of humanitarian personnel working on their
territory.
 The effectiveness of humanitarian aid and
upholding good humanitarian principles are other
concerns of ours. Advocating these principles was one
of the activities Estonia pursued during our recent co-
chairmanship of the Good Humanitarian Donorship
initiative.
 Finally, I would like to underline one simple
truth. The United Nations, like any other organization,
is only as strong and effective as the political will and
commitment of its members. Big or small, we all bear
responsibility. As a member of the European Union,
Estonia firmly believes that the Treaty of Lisbon
fundamentally enhances the ability of the Union to be a
significant global actor, securing peace, stability and
prosperity for all. With our shared commitment, I
expect the vital and prominent role of the United
Nations in the global arena to be further reinforced.


First,
Sir, I warmly congratulate you and the friendly Swiss
Confederation on your election as President of the
General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, and wish
you every success in your noble mission. We are
convinced that your great political and diplomatic
experience will provide the best conditions for the
success of this session and enrich its contents. This will
help achieve the objectives and aspirations we all
cherish, especially as regards the theme of the general
debate: “Reaffirming the central role of the United
Nations in global governance”.
 I take this opportunity to renew my congratulations
to Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki and to the sisterly Great
Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, for his
valuable efforts as President at the sixty-fourth session,
his deep knowledge of international affairs and his
wise approach in dealing with crucial, complex and
delicate issues, thus serving the interests of our peoples
and nations and enhancing the role of the General
Assembly in international relations.
 I also wish to express my great respect to Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, the Secretary-General, for his commendable
efforts at the head of the Secretariat to further enhance
the position of our prestigious Organization and
promote its performance, so that it can meet the many
challenges posed on the international scene. In this
context, Tunisia reaffirms its support for all the efforts
of the Secretary-General, and of the United Nations in
general, to promote peace, stability, security and
development in all countries of the world.
 Tunisia highly values the important historic step
made during the previous session in the process of
reforming the United Nations. I refer to the adoption of
resolution 64/289, which reaffirms the importance we
all attach to the development of the United Nations
system and the promotion of complementarity between
its activities and programmes. That applies especially
to those pertaining to women, for whom a new unified
Entity has been created to deal with all issues related to
gender equality and the empowerment of women. I
take this opportunity to renew our congratulations to its
head, Ms. Bachelet. We wish her every success.
 Under the leadership of President Zine El Abidine
Ben Ali, Tunisia attaches crucial importance to these
issues. Women, in fact, have a strategic role in our
civilizational project, and are considered a partner in
making all our national choices. Tunisia strongly believes
that democracy cannot be built, and comprehensive
development cannot be achieved, without the active
involvement of women in public life, and that promoting
society to higher levels depends on enhancing the
conditions of women in all fields. This conviction
stems from our vision of human rights in their
comprehensiveness, inseparability and complementarity.
 The prestigious status that Tunisian women enjoy
today is confirmed by figures and indicators pertaining
to human development and women’s involvement in all
fields. They now represent 30 per cent of the country’s
working population. They hold 30 per cent of decision-
making positions and other positions of responsibility.
They represent 33 per cent of the judicial corps —
judges and lawyers — and 42 per cent of the medical
corps. In higher education, girls account for 60 per cent
of the total number of students. In the legislative
branch, women’s presence has been reinforced to reach
30 per cent in the Chamber of Deputies and 16 per cent
in the Chamber of Advisers.
 It is indeed a source of pride for Tunisia to be
ranked first internationally in terms of fighting
violence against women and guaranteeing their right to
free movement and ownership of property, to be ranked
first in the Arab world in terms of offering women
opportunities for economic participation, and to be
ranked first in Africa in terms of women’s per capita
income.
 The Tunisian presidency of the Arab Women
Organization (AWO), in the person of Tunisia’s first
lady, is in line with that approach. Mrs. Leila Ben Ali

7 10-55276

has endeavoured to spread the culture of gender
equality, to further improve the condition of women in
Arab societies, to allow them to enjoy their rights and
accomplish their duties, and to preserve their dignity. All
this, in fact, constitutes a civilizational and strategic stake
and an integral part of the concept of Arab national
security and human security in all its dimensions.
 As part of the various pioneering initiatives and
activities of the Arab Women Organization, Tunisia
will next month host the third AWO Conference, with
the theme “The Arab woman, a partner in sustainable
development”.
 Since the change of 7 November 1987, Tunisia
has adopted a comprehensive and balanced development
policy based on the inseparability of the economic and
social dimensions, a policy that reconciles the
requirements of an economy based on the principles of
profitability and efficiency and an equitable social
policy in which there is no room for exclusion or
marginalization, guaranteeing a decent life for all
citizens.
 The electoral programme of President Zine El
Abidine Ben Ali for the 2009-2014 term of office,
“Together we meet the challenges”, and the five-year
development plan for the period 2010-2014 have both
made a reality of those choices, reflecting a
determination to further enhance the process of
democracy and pluralism, to move political life in
Tunisia towards further modernity and continuous
reform, and to launch a new process of development
based on the economy of knowledge and intelligence.
 As part of that ambitious, future-oriented plan,
Tunisia has attached crucial importance to youth as the
pillar of the present and the builder of the future,
through regularly organizing national youth
consultations to explore the concerns, expectations and
views of young people. The results of those
consultations are taken into consideration in preparing
development plans. Furthermore, Tunisia proclaimed
2008 the Year of Comprehensive Dialogue with
Tunisian Youth. That event, with massive participation
by different youth categories, was crowned with the
adoption of a Youth Pact signed by all the national
organizations concerned and the elite of Tunisian youth.
 Keen on consecrating this policy at the
international level and on involving the world
community in supporting it, our country launched
during the previous session of the General Assembly an
initiative to proclaim 2010 International Year of Youth,
to consolidate the position of youth in all societies of
the world, youth being at the forefront of the forces of
progress embracing noble universal values. Tunisia
expresses its deep pride over Member States’
unanimous support for this initiative, which the
General Assembly adopted in resolution 64/134.
 Tunisia also takes pride in the fact that on
12 August the Secretary-General himself chaired the
launch of the festivities celebrating the International
Year of Youth; he did so at Headquarters, in the presence
of hundreds of representatives of the world’s youth.
 Tunisia calls on all Governments, international
and regional organizations, and youth institutions, to
establish adequate plans of action, programmes and
activities to celebrate the International Year of Youth in
a way that makes a reality of its motto, “Dialogue and
mutual understanding”, and leads to the adoption of an
international pact to bind the world’s youth to common
universal values. I take this opportunity to express
Tunisia’s appreciation for the initiatives of Turkey,
Singapore and Mexico in organizing important
international youth events last August.
 Throughout its modern history, Tunisia has
remained committed to the principles and values of
peaceful coexistence, good-neighbourliness, fraternity
and mutual support. It has tirelessly endeavoured to
promote relations of fraternity, friendship and cooperation
with all peace-loving countries, and has invariably
advocated peace, security and justice in the world.
 Since the change of November 1987, Tunisia has
given particular attention to the promotion of relations
of fraternity and cooperation with Arab Maghreb
countries, based on its strong belief in the unity of
destiny and the inevitability of Maghreb integration.
While reaffirming its adherence to the Arab Maghreb
Union as a historic gain and an irrevocable strategic
choice, Tunisia is committed to pursuing efforts jointly
with sisterly Maghreb countries to realize the aspirations
of the Maghreb peoples for complementarity,
integration and solidarity. This commitment stems from
a deep common civilizational, historic and geographic
belonging, and is imposed by the successive economic
fluctuations and the deep and ever-accelerating
changes taking place in our world today in all political,
social and cultural fields.
 At the Arab level, Tunisia will firmly pursue its
efforts to promote joint Arab action and establish solid

10-55276 8

foundations for an efficient inter-Arab economic
complementarity.
 Tunisia has continuously played an efficient role
in dealing with Arab causes, in the forefront of which
is the Palestinian cause, through its firm and
unwavering position supporting the brotherly
Palestinian people at all stages of their legitimate
struggle, and calling for a fair, durable and
comprehensive solution that can put an end to the
suffering of our Palestinian brothers and allow them to
recover their legitimate national rights and establish
their independent State on their land.
 In this context, Tunisia expresses its deep concern
about the situation in the Middle East, as a result of
Israel’s disrespect for international legality and the
basic principles of the peace process, its persistence in
the settlement policy and its attempts to obliterate the
Arab-Muslim identity of the city of Al-Quds Al-Sharif.
 Tunisia expresses its hope that the resumption of
direct peace talks, launched on 2 September in
Washington under the sponsorship of the United States,
will meet the legitimate aspirations of the brotherly
Palestinian people.
 We also call on all the influential parties on the
international scene, particularly the Quartet, to act to
bring Israel to adhere to the requirements of peace, on
the basis of international legality, the principles of the
peace process, and the Arab Peace Initiative, and in
accordance with a specific time schedule that covers all
the relevant main points.
 Tunisia also reiterates its call for an end to the
Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan and the remaining
occupied Lebanese territories, in accordance with
international legality, so that all the peoples of the region
can enjoy security and peace, and devote their efforts
to construction and development for a better future.
 Moreover, Tunisia hopes that the efforts made
will promote peace and security in Iraq, Yemen, the
Sudan and Somalia, within a climate of unity and
national harmony.
 Tunisia attaches particular importance to its
belonging to Africa, based on its belief in the
importance of its integration in its geographic
environment and the expansion of the fields of
cooperation and solidarity with sisterly African
countries. Since the 7 November change, our country
has endeavoured to realize this policy by reaffirming
its commitment to the principles of the African Union,
and continuously supporting all initiatives aimed at
promoting the continent, achieving development for its
peoples, and preserving its potentialities, within a
climate of security and stability.
 Tunisia has spared no effort to contribute to the
promotion of peace and security in the African
continent, through participating in United Nations
peacekeeping operations, supporting conflict-
prevention mechanisms, and continuously acting for
the eradication of hotbeds of tension.
 Moreover, our country has continuously called on
African countries to play an active role and to find
adequate solutions to their problems through activating
the central organ of the Mechanism for Conflict
Prevention, Management and Resolution, the first
regional experience of preventive diplomacy, then
through the African Peace and Security Council, which
has helped re-establish stability in a number of sisterly
African countries.
 We reaffirm Tunisia’s support for all the efforts of
the African Union, which proclaimed 2010 the Year of
Peace and Security in Africa, so that peace and stability
would reign all over the continent, which is a
responsibility of the international community as a whole.
 In line with those principles and with the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Tunisia calls
on developed nations to act promptly to meet the needs
of the African continent and of developing countries in
general, by using the existing international and
regional mechanisms to ensure decent living standards
for African peoples.
 I take this opportunity to stress the need to
activate the World Solidarity Fund, created by the
General Assembly in 2002, upon Tunisia’s initiative, to
serve as an efficient international mechanism for
sustainable development, capable of achieving the
MDGs, particularly the Goal of reducing the poverty
rate by half by 2015.
 At the Euro-Mediterranean level, Europe is
currently an essential partner of Tunisia in various
fields. Our country has time-honoured historic relations
with Europe. Yet we consider that our relations still
need to be further enhanced and developed, through an
equitable, solidarity-based partnership that rests on
mutual respect and is in line with our strategic and
civilizational choices in terms of political reform and

9 10-55276

economic, social and cultural development. This will
strengthen the ties of cooperation and solidarity, and
help reduce disparities between the countries and
peoples of the two shores of the Mediterranean. On the
basis of those principles Tunisia supported the
establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean, a
promising initiative that can create a new dynamism in
Euro-Mediterranean relations, promote a positive
interaction to meet the coming challenges, and enhance
security and stability in our Mediterranean region.
 Tunisia is endeavouring to respond positively to
the huge changes occurring on the international scene,
by developing the mechanisms of consultation and
cooperation with all the American and Asian countries.
Our country attaches great importance to the promotion
of its relations with large regional blocs in the
American and Asian continents, so as to enrich
cooperation and explore new fields for a strong
partnership serving mutual interests. In this context, at
the end of this year Tunisia will host the Japan-Arab
Economic Forum. It will also host, in 2012, the Fifth
Ministerial Meeting of the China-Arab Cooperation
Forum.
 Tunisia is also keen on promoting rapprochement
with South American countries, within an Arab or
African framework.
 The values of mutual support and solidarity,
which constitute the pillar of our country’s policy and
orientation, and which have now become a deeply-
anchored tradition, demand that we give immediate
assistance to countries stricken by natural disasters,
which cause thousands of deaths in many countries of
the world. Tunisia has responded promptly to the
urgent calls by the Secretary-General to help disaster-
stricken countries, such as Pakistan, which was
recently ravaged by floods, and Haiti, which early this
year was hit by a devastating earthquake, in which
Tunisia and the United Nations lost one of their
eminent diplomats, known for his great competence
and generous devotion, the late Hédi Annabi, head of
the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.
 Today, the world urgently needs to adopt an
efficient policy to protect the environment, so as to
spare humanity the adverse consequences of climate
change, which over the past three decades has caused
the international community huge economic losses.
 The Assembly is certainly aware that climate
change has a serious impact on stability in many
countries, given the many problems caused, especially
by global warming, drought and floods, and the resulting
degradation of harvests and scarcity of water resources.
Once again, Tunisia underlines the need to accelerate the
pace of international talks on climate change, while
giving priority to human interests over economic
benefits, so as to reach an agreement guaranteeing that
a minimum of measures will be taken to meet the huge
challenges posed by climate change, particularly in the
developing and the least developed countries.
 Tunisia calls for the establishment of a decisive
intervention programme to help remedy the effects of
climate change and the problems it causes in terms of
ecosystems, farming policies, and international food
security in general. In this context, Tunisia reiterates its
support for the African position and underlines the
importance of helping African countries to face the
effects of climate change. Tunisia commends the
attention given by Japan and Korea to this issue. We
hope that the forthcoming Mexico summit will produce
positive results that can help achieve the objectives in
this vital field.
 At the present session the Assembly has devoted
a large part of its agenda to the evaluation of our
countries’ achievements in the implementation of the
MDGs, five years before 2015. Implementing the
Goals and meeting the challenges resulting from the
new world order, with the deep changes that it has
generated, require that we step up action to embody the
principles of the Charter in international relations, and
to anchor the culture of dialogue and the values of
tolerance, civilizational communication and solidarity
among peoples.
 Tunisia reaffirms its determination to continue
actively contributing to joint international action to
find adequate, fair and durable solutions to current
problems, through joining in all efforts based on
dialogue, mutual respect, consensus and mutual
support within the framework of the United Nations.
That is the ideal framework for international action to
promote security, peace and stability in the world, so
that our peoples can apply all their efforts and capacities
for comprehensive and sustainable development and for
realizing their legitimate aspirations for prosperity and
a decent standard of living.
 The current international situation can only
strengthen our adherence to the United Nations and its
founding principles, and bolster our determination to

10-55276 10

reaffirm its central role in meeting challenges and to
confer more efficiency on its activities and programmes,
given its pivotal role in global governance.
 In this regard, Tunisia hopes that Member States
will reach the largest possible consensus for
introducing the necessary reforms into the United
Nations system, especially as regards the composition
of the Security Council, and for giving more
transparency and efficiency to the Organization’s
performance; that is in addition to further enhancing
the role of the General Assembly, which includes all
the Member States, and that of the Economic and
Social Council.
 To conclude, I once again wish all success to the
Assembly at the current session, at which we hope it
will make constructive recommendations that serve all
the peoples of the world, promote peace and stability,
offer wider prospects for progress and prosperity, and
help meet challenges with confidence and efficiency.


I would like to congratulate
you, Mr. President, on your election to the presidency
of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We
are confident that with your vast academic and political
experience, you will provide the Assembly with the
necessary leadership in the year ahead. Allow me to
also commend your predecessor, His Excellency
Mr. Ali Treki, for his many initiatives and guidance in
steering the sixty-fourth session to a successful
conclusion.
 My delegation welcomes your proposal on
“Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in
global governance” as the theme for the general debate
of this session. That theme is most appropriate, as it
comes at a time when the world looks to the United
Nations for its stewardship in addressing the multiple
global crises, the devastating effects of climate change
and the issue of the maintenance of global peace and
security. The United Nations has long been recognized
as an indispensable global Organization due to its
mandate, and must continuously adapt itself to deal
with the challenges confronting the world so that its
pivotal role in global governance is maintained. No
other multilateral organization or intergovernmental
grouping, without the legitimacy of universal
membership, can hope to replace the centrality of the
United Nations in global affairs.
 The vast majority of Members of the United
Nations are small States. The principle of sovereign
equality enshrined in the United Nations Charter
establishes that all States, regardless of size, wealth,
relative power, population or level of development, are
accorded equal opportunity to participate and
contribute to the work of the United Nations, its
principal organs and its high-level posts. That, in fact,
is the bedrock upon which this House was founded 64
years ago. It is a principle that must remain in the
forefront and help chart our course further as our
dialogue on United Nations reform continues.
 How can we, as Members of the United Nations,
credibly espouse equity among nations and peoples if
we fail to practise it among ourselves? After 39 years
of membership, Bhutan continues to believe that the
United Nations still has room and a role for smaller
States, as equal partners in global affairs, including in
the maintenance of international peace and security.
For that reason, Bhutan is seeking membership in the
Security Council in a non-permanent seat for the term
2013 and 2014.
 Last week at the High-level Plenary Meeting, our
heads of State and Government acknowledged the
plight of millions of people living in poverty and
agreed to recommit themselves to keeping their pledge
on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The
successful achievement of the MDGs by all Member
States will serve as a measure of the effectiveness of
the United Nations. The United Nations must therefore
continue to provide the necessary leadership to foster
renewed global partnership to enable the realization of
all the MDGs by 2015.
 On 20 September, Bhutan’s Prime Minister
highlighted to this gathering the need to move beyond
conventional development practices (see A/65/PV.3).
He therefore proposed the inclusion of happiness as the
ninth Millennium Development Goal. My delegation is
hopeful that that proposal of my Prime Minister will
receive the support of the United Nations membership.

10-55396 26

 My delegation is pleased to note that the reform
agenda initiated following the World Summit in 2005 is
beginning to yield results. In that regard, we welcome
the Assembly’s unanimous adoption of the resolution
on system-wide coherence (resolution 64/289) early in
July 2010, which, inter alia, established UN Women.
The creation of UN Women effectively consolidates all
the existing mandates and functions relating to women
and constitutes an important step in fulfilling the
commitments undertaken in the Fourth World
Conference on Women, held in Beijing. We are
confident that that entity will address the global issues
of gender equality and women’s empowerment with
great vigour.
 Bhutan has long been convinced that no society
can be a happy one if it is not inclusive. Promoting the
conditions that will enable the pursuit of national
happiness by all our citizens, so that, regardless of
race, sex, language, religion, politics or other status,
they may enjoy a good quality of life in a progressive
and prosperous country is not only one of the
objectives of government, it is our moral obligation.
This spirit is further reaffirmed by our Constitution,
which guarantees the fundamental rights of all
Bhutanese, thus demonstrating that Bhutan is
committed to building an inclusive society, one that
enables all Bhutanese, including those with disabilities,
to lead fulfilling lives, to contribute and to participate
as full members of society. My Government was
therefore particularly pleased to sign the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities on 21 September 2010.
 We are also pleased to note that resolution 64/289
on system-wide coherence will contribute to the
enhancement of the operational activities of the United
Nations, making the funding system more systematic
and harmonizing the overall governance structure. This
would improve the capacity of the United Nations to
more effectively deliver assistance to countries, thus
strengthening its development pillar.
 My delegation recognizes the important role of
the General Assembly in setting the global agenda and
dealing with many of the important issues confronting
the international community today. With each passing
year, the responsibilities entrusted to the General
Assembly, as the chief deliberative and policy-making
body of the United Nations, continue to grow, and we
believe that the authority of the General Assembly
must be simultaneously enhanced to assume the
growing mandate entrusted to it. We therefore
appreciate the progress made by the Ad Hoc Working
Group on the Revitalization of the General Assembly,
where a number of key issues have been highlighted,
especially the strengthening of the Office of the
President of the General Assembly. We are confident
that, with the political determination of Member States,
those deliberations will result in a stronger United
Nations.
 We are encouraged that, in the past year, the five
rounds of intergovernmental negotiations on the
question of equitable representation in and larger
membership of the Security Council and other matters
related to the Council, held under the chairmanship of
Ambassador Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan, is making
good progress. My delegation supports the expansion
of both the permanent and the non-permanent
membership of the Security Council to reflect the
contemporary realities and make it a more
representative body. We believe that India, Japan,
Germany and Brazil plus two countries from the
African continent, which have the capacity and
resources to shoulder the onerous responsibilities with
regard to the maintenance of international peace and
security, should be granted permanent membership.
 Given the renewed commitment of the
international community to the MDGs with a view to
improving the lives of the people in the poorest
countries, it is most timely that the Fourth United
Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries
should take place in 2011 in Turkey. We thank the
Government of Turkey for its generous offer and
assistance in hosting this important Conference. We
also appreciate the efforts of the United Nations Office
of the High Representative for the Least Developed
Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and
Small Island Developing States in coordinating
preparations for the Conference.
 As we undertake preparations for this event, we
will look to you, Mr. President, for your support and
direction, so that the least developed countries (LDCs)
together with all our development partners cannot only
ensure a successful outcome, but also, more
importantly, give their people a chance for a better life.
We are confident that the Conference will build on the
successes of the Programme of Action for the Least
Developed Countries for the Decade 2001-2010 and
adopt new measures and strategies for the development
of the LDCs in the next decade.

27 10-55396

 As most fittingly described, the other defining
challenge of our time, namely, climate change, requires
the collective and coordinated effort of all nations, as
its devastating effects know no bounds. My country has
full faith in the leadership of the United Nations and
believes in the centrality of the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change in
addressing climate change. We are confident that the
ongoing negotiations will lead to a concrete,
comprehensive and equitable agreement at the
sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change in Cancún later this year, as envisaged under
the Bali Action Plan. Success will be essential in
Cancún for small and vulnerable countries such as my
own, which bears a heavier burden as the result of
climate change. We must have the necessary resources
for mitigation and adaptation.
 With the severe threats and damaging effects
caused by climate change in South Asia, as recently
occurred in Pakistan, it was no coincidence that the
sixteenth Summit of the South Asian Association for
Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which Bhutan was
honoured to host in April this year, appropriately chose
climate change as its theme. In addition to adopting the
Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration, entitled “Towards
a Green and Happy South Asia”, the Summit also
adopted the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change.
The Statement outlines important initiatives to further
strengthen and intensify regional cooperation to
address the adverse impacts of climate change in South
Asia. One of the important outcomes of the Thimphu
Summit is the formulation of a common SAARC
statement on climate change, which Bhutan, as the
current SAARC Chair, will present at the forthcoming
Conference of the Parties in December in Cancún.
 We are pleased to report that, as Bhutan
progresses into its third year as a democratic
constitutional monarchy, the foundations for a
sustainable and vibrant democracy are growing
stronger. The institutional arrangements for the three
branches of Government, as required under our
Constitution, are now complete and functioning with
the establishment of the Supreme Court earlier this
year. Likewise, all the constitutional bodies with
oversight functions have been firmly established, and
the media is performing its role as the fourth estate in
an atmosphere of freedom.
 There is no doubt that, given the challenges
confronting our increasingly interdependent world, the
role of the United Nations is vital in addressing those
issues. In order to do so, the United Nations requires
the full support and commitment of the entire
membership. Only then will it be able to truly reaffirm
its central role in global governance. I therefore
conclude by assuring you, Mr. President, of my
delegation’s full support and cooperation, as you
embark on a year-long journey of further strengthening
this Organization.


It is a
special honour for me to address the sixty-fifth session
of the General Assembly. I would like to congratulate
the President on his election to this important position.
His experience and continuing commitment strengthen
my conviction that he will take the achievements of his
predecessor even further. Albania will fully support
him as he fulfils his mandate. I take this opportunity to
express our special appreciation to the Secretary-
General for his continuing efforts to revitalize the
global role of the United Nations, as well as to reform
the Organization.
 Albania is of the view that the role of the United
Nations remains powerful, coherent and irreplaceable
as the centre of effective global action. It must
continue to be encouraged and supported in its efforts
to overcome the challenges of achieving open
international cooperation, sustainable peace and
security, ongoing development and greater respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms.
 We live in a global world, interconnected and
interdependent, where States and nations must assist
and support each other in the search for a
comprehensive answer to the common problems and
new challenges that we face. Multilateralism remains a
priority for the entire international community. In this
context, a reformed United Nations — revitalized,
dynamic, powerful and effective — is crucial to the
complicated process of global governance. In this path
of cooperation around the world, the role of the United
Nations is irreplaceable, especially in regard to how we
make use of our human and material resources.
 Rapidly evolving issues throughout the world,
each with positive and negative consequences that
must inevitably influence the challenges the future will
bring, must be given special priority and approached
with special care. The United Nations challenging
agenda must focus on strengthening peace and security,
fighting terrorism, and the issues of stable
development, climate change, poverty reduction, the
non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
natural disasters, human rights, migration, and others.
Albania remains committed to contributing to this
agenda.
 The lead role of the Organization and its agencies
in administering its budgetary and human resources
should be responsive to the requests of Member States.
The establishment of the United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women is
the most recent example of tangible success in United
Nations reform. Strengthening the role of women in
society will not only enhance political life but also help
their emancipation and harmonious development.
 The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are
a priority in our work. Following the adoption of the
Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) a decade ago,
Albania has advanced towards meeting the MDGs in
all areas and with respect to all indicators. It has also
made great efforts to incorporate the MDGs into its
national development strategy.
 We are fully committed to reaching the goals set
forth in the acquis communautaire of the European
Union (EU), which requires increasing investment in
social issues, establishing local and central governance
systems, and enhancing development capacity in order
to guarantee the ongoing improvement of the well-
being of the Albanian people. However, as a full-
fledged member of NATO and in the light of its
internal democratic stability, Albania is now seeking
greater standing in the world as a way to bolster its
development in the long term.
 Delivering as one is a crucial factor in the reform
designed to assist in development around the world.
United Nations efforts to establish system-wide
coherence offer a real possibility to make the United

29 10-54833

Nations more effective. As a pilot country, Albania is a
success story, having committed itself fully from the
onset. The One United Nations concept in Albania is
being developed in complete harmony with national
sovereignty and national ownership of development,
while responding to the specific needs of the country.
The responsibility of being a pilot country further
encourages us to make this initiative a success. It is
also an opportunity for us to contribute to the overall
reform of the United Nations.
 Albania has signed a memorandum of
understanding with the United Nations Department of
Peacekeeping Operations. As a NATO member,
Albania is a force for peace and stability in the region.
Not only does Albania follow a policy of good-
neighbourly relations and strive for the preservation
and strengthening of stability in its own region, it also
has shown its interest in and commitment to stability
and peace in other parts of the world by contributing
military and civilian personnel to the peacekeeping
missions of various international security organizations
and of the United Nations, including the United
Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and
Chad and missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. We are
thus willing to contribute peacekeeping troops
anywhere in the world under the auspices of the United
Nations and regional security organizations like NATO.
 Terrorism remains a major threat to peace,
international security and world order. The fight
against terrorism remains a priority that requires great
determination resolve. This global threat may be
prevented and addressed through collective action,
strong responses and the mobilization of all States
Members of the United Nations. We must show our
nations that, as a part of our responsibility, we shall
stand resolute and united against terrorism. Together,
we must define a collective platform and strategy for
victory in the war against terror by strengthening the
international system and order.
 We praise and appreciate the work of the Security
Council and its committees for their engagement with
and active support for Member States through their
effective implementation of the Council’s counter-
terrorism resolutions, in particular resolutions 1269
(1999), 1373 (2001), 1540 (2004) and 1624 (2005).
Albania remains fully committed to cooperating with
the Security Council in this regard.
 Albania appreciates the Secretary-General’s
contributions to addressing the issue of the Middle
East, particularly in the discussions aimed at achieving
a sustainable solution acceptable to all parties. All
peoples share the desire to live in peace, and
Governments have an obligation to guarantee it. We
support the relaunched dialogue process and hope that,
with the commitment of the international community,
the Palestinians and Israelis will take the steps
necessary to achieving stable peace in that important
region.
 Albania believes that the Alliance of Civilizations
is a political means for the United Nations to promote
peace and harmony among civilizations and to build an
inclusive society through education, understanding and
mutual knowledge. As a member of the Group of
Friends, we shall take active part because we believe in
dialogue and contacts among different cultures, in the
need to know and respect each other, and in the
necessity of defending the unique as part of the
richness of the whole. Our approved national strategy
for intercultural dialogue and the holding of the
Inter-Religious Forum in Tirana in January have served
to enrich our experience. However, our participation in
the Third Global Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations
led us to believe that a better job of fighting
stereotypes and prejudice is still needed, as are greater
efforts to make modern multicultural societies more
cohesive.
 Albania’s integration into and membership of the
European Union is a key priority of our foreign policy,
where there has rarely been a broader political and
social consensus. The important steps taken by Albania
towards EU membership and the phases of cooperation
under the framework of the integration process have
shown a great deal of potential.
 The end of this year promises to be decisive as
we approach two decisions of great importance: the
completion of the visa liberalization process with the
EU and the achievement of candidate status for EU
membership. Albanians will finally be able to enjoy the
real freedom for which they fought and sacrificed
longer and more deeply than any other European
nation. The near-unanimous decision of the European
Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs to remove
the requirement that Albanians obtain visas to enter the
EU not only gives us great joy, but also confers greater
responsibility on us to fulfil our commitments as we
prepare for EU membership.

10-54833 30

 We guarantee that the seriousness with which we
completed the EU questionnaire and our responsible
approach to our relations with all European Union
institutions and member countries will remain the
hallmarks of our efforts to earn the status of candidate
country at the earliest possible date.
 Albania’s membership in NATO and its
integration into the European Union are important
regional processes inseparable from the full integration
of the region. We believe that every Western Balkan
country is entitled to play a role in contributing to and
assuming responsibility for the integration and
emancipation of the region. I am happy to acknowledge
that the high level of regional cooperation and political
awareness show that the only way forward is through
Euro-Atlantic integration.
 These are hopeful and promising times, now that
the bitter past of that part of Europe has been
consigned to history. Albania and Albanians will
continue to contribute to stability, security, long-term
peace and economic growth by encouraging integration
policies related not just to security and economic
development, but also to coexistence among countries,
peoples and nations, cultures, traditions and history.
 A few days ago, a rare occurrence took place in
this very Hall with the adoption by consensus of
resolution 64/298 on the international legitimacy of the
declaration of Kosovo’s independence. That was a very
important event for Kosovo, Serbia, the Western
Balkans, a united Europe and the United Nations. I
would like to express my gratitude for the commitment
and engagement of all international actors, especially
the European Union, which imbued the resolution with
the contemporary philosophy and openness of Europe.
The European Union showed its cohesiveness and
proved that the integration policies of our region are
unstoppable and full of hope, and that the only way to
unite with Europe is through dialogue and cooperation
among neighbouring countries.
 Now that the matter of the status of Kosovo and
its borders has been settled definitively, it is time to
begin a dialogue on practical issues. We hope that the
message enshrined in the resolution will immediately
be put into practice by the two independent countries.
We support the immediate launch of dialogue between
Kosovo and Serbia. We support sincere and
constructive dialogue to resolve practical issues of
interest to the daily concerns of their citizens, to help
them and to facilitate and even calm the situation of the
respective Albanian and Serbian minorities. It is time
to resolve the problems and issues concerning
representation, language and education, among others,
in the spirit and vision of a common European future.
 Albania considers the consensus adoption of
resolution 64/298 to be an important step not only in
respect of the advisory opinion of the International
Court of Justice and the authority of the United
Nations, but also for the consolidation of the State of
Kosovo and its democratic and European institutions,
its independence and integrity, and its future as a
Member of the United Nations.
 Albania appreciates the work of the Security
Council in its engagement towards the implementation
of the United Nations Charter and international law,
which are essential to peaceful coexistence and
cooperation among Member States in addressing
common challenges and contributing to international
peace and security.
 The advisory opinion of the International Court
of Justice legally confirmed that the independence of
Kosovo remains a sui generis case that does not set a
precedent for situations in other countries. Now is the
time to prove with concrete facts that we respect the
United Nations and the values that have united us here
today. Today is the day to testify that we support its
authority and its independent institutions. Today is a
golden opportunity to accept the truth and to declare it
loudly.
 Today, we have a responsibility towards a country
and a people that rightly wish to be among us and have
given ample evidence that they truly deserve it. I take
this opportunity to appeal to my colleagues, whose
countries have not yet recognized the independence of
Kosovo, to recognize it now, by assuring them that this
is the only way to contribute to long-term stability and
peace, not just in the region but also globally.
 In conclusion, I would like to confirm once again
that Albania is determined to continue to support the
United Nations agenda and the stronger functioning of
the Organization at all levels.


It is a pleasure for me to address
the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session.
 We meet following the historic review summit on
the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the High-
level Plenary Meeting of the Assembly, which gave us
the opportunity to review progress and share
experiences and ideas on how best to achieve our set
goals and objectives for 2015. As we return to our
respective countries we go with renewed commitment
to keep working harder to meet the MDGs.
 I would like at the outset to extend our thanks and
appreciation to the Secretary-General and the United
Nations agencies for their presence around the world.
We commend the active participation of the United
Nations in various missions, such as efforts to restore
peace in conflict areas, and its role in disaster relief
and in various exercises to fight hunger and poverty.
 We pledge ourselves to continue to support the
United Nations in its primary role of ensuring that all
the nations of the world live peacefully with each other
while supporting nation-building through development
projects.
 The theme for this sixty-fifth session,
“Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in
global governance”, came at a most opportune time in

7 10-55103

the life of the United Nations, since we have been
calling for all our voices to be heard. I must hasten to
state that all the wars and conflicts that we see around
the world can only be resolved through peaceful
dialogue and negotiations. The United Nations is the
organization best positioned for this task. There is no
place for unilateralism.
 It is on this basis that the Kingdom of eSwatini
reaffirms our call for the finalization of the United
Nations reforms, with particular reference to the
Security Council. It should be appreciated that the
world today faces a new set of challenges, different
from those that it faced when our Organization was
founded in 1945; thus the urgent need for the United
Nations to remain dynamic and transform itself to meet
today’s challenges.
 One of the major organs that require immediate
reform is the Security Council, which has seen a
number of regions expressing a desire to gain
membership, to ensure wider representation. The
Kingdom of eSwatini stands by the African position, as
clearly stated in the Ezulwini Consensus, that Africa
should have two permanent and five non-permanent
seats. We hope that during this session this matter will
be finalized.
 We in the African continent are committed to
resolving all conflicts through peaceful dialogue. The
coordination and cooperation between the African
Union and its various regional blocs is beginning to
pay handsome dividends. We now approach issues as a
collective for better results. We are happy that the
United Nations continues to work and cooperate with
us in effecting our programmes for peacebuilding and
peacekeeping.
 The General Assembly will know that the African
Union declared 2010 to be our Year of Peace and
Security. We have made it clear that all perpetrators of
coups and civil wars and all forms of conflict should be
dealt with squarely and decisively. Indeed, we are
committed to the promotion of lasting peace, because it
is a prerequisite for achieving sustainable development.
We appreciate the support of the United Nations in our
resolve to ensure that peace prevails in the continent
and, indeed, the whole world.
 I am happy to say that I personally had the
honour of lighting and hoisting the African flame of
peace twice this year. The Swazi nation prides itself on
this, because we are a peaceful nation, which is telling
the world that peace is the best formula for
development.
 Another issue that touches upon global
governance is that of the Kingdom of Morocco. It is
our considered view that the United Nations, working
with relevant regional organizations, should work on
the issue and find a lasting solution.
 We note with concern the continued conflicts in
Madagascar, Somalia, Darfur, the Middle East and
Afghanistan, to mention just a few. We call for the
restoration of peace in all those areas, as it is always
disturbing to see people undergo so much suffering due
to conflicts.
 While Afghanistan is still undergoing its process
of reconciliation and the reconstruction of its
institutions, it is depressing to note that there are at
times pockets that seem to disturb the peace process in
that country. We must continue to work hard to find
lasting solutions, because such instability affects peace
and prosperity, not only in Afghanistan, but also in
neighbouring States and the region.
 The Kingdom of eSwatini draws hope from the
promising developments in Iraq, as that country
continues on the road to peace through restoration of
its important institutions for self-determination.
 Furthermore, we are also following with keen
interest efforts to ensure peace between Israel and
Palestine. We are pleased to note the concerted
mediation efforts led by the United States of America
in bringing the parties together in pursuit of peace in
the Middle East. We support this process, and remain
optimistic that it will reach its desired conclusion, so
that the Israelis and Palestinians can live together in
harmony. In order to concentrate all their efforts
towards development and peaceful coexistence, we call
upon them to reach a compromise and place the best
interests of peace and security above everything else.
 Developments in cross-straits relations between
the Republic of China on Taiwan and the People’s
Republic of China continue to be a source of
inspiration to us all. We note with appreciation that the
Republic of China on Taiwan and the People’s
Republic of China have made impressive strides to
promote mutual understanding leading to more trade
and interaction between them. I am happy to say that
Taiwan highly appreciates being allowed to participate
as an observer in the World Health Organization.

10-55103 8

Hopefully, this will also lead to Taiwan’s participating
in a similar manner in all other United Nations
agencies. Of particular interest is the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change.
 Our world today continues to be concerned about
nuclear proliferation and the threat that weapons of
mass destruction pose to human existence, world
peace, economic development and the environment.
The spread of nuclear weapons makes a mockery of
our efforts for world peace and protection of the
environment.
 It is a disheartening fact that currently efforts to
ensure accountability and compliance with United
Nations resolutions are hindered by an apparent lack of
impartiality in the processes meant to completely rid
the world of deadly nuclear weapons. I call upon the
United Nations to strengthen the capacity of the
International Atomic Energy Agency to enable the
inspectors to do their work more effectively, with the
involvement of all the countries with nuclear
capability.
 The United Nations must never compromise the
implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation
of Nuclear Weapons; it must ensure that all countries,
without exception, comply. Countries must be made to
comply and be accountable within clear time frames.
 It is my suggestion that we eliminate all weapons
of mass destruction, because they present an uncertain
future. Indeed, we need a fresh start so that we may
regain the moral high ground in deterring whoever may
have ambitions for nuclear capability in the future. For
example, if we compel everyone to dismantle their
nuclear capacity we will be able to rein in other
countries which may still be developing their arsenal,
without being accused of unfairness or bias.
 A world free of nuclear and other weapons of
mass destruction will allow us to concentrate on issues
of sustainable development.
 As a developing nation, the Kingdom of eSwatini
is following with keen interest the issues surrounding
the effects of climate change. As an agriculture-based
economy, the Kingdom is also a victim of
environmental degradation. We therefore look forward
to the climate change Conference to be held in Mexico
later this year. I trust that the ongoing negotiations will
result in agreements acceptable to all parties. What is
of paramount importance is for the developed world to
honour pledges to assist developing countries in their
mitigation and adaptation efforts.
 It is a known fact that access to international
markets for our products is one of the ways to grow our
economies in our quest to eradicate poverty. We are
encouraged that the developed nations have opened
their markets for some products from developing
countries. We look forward with optimism to an
amicable conclusion of the Doha Round of talks, an
outcome essential to boost global trade and economic
recovery for the developing world.
 As part of our development and poverty
alleviation strategy, the Kingdom is ready to explore
and exploit existing and emerging markets. Our focus
is on limiting exportation of raw material by
emphasizing the production of finished goods.
 The Kingdom continues to promote equality in all
sectors of our development spheres. We therefore
welcome the recent establishment of the new United
Nations entity for gender equality: UN Women.
Women the world over continue to play key roles in
contributing to the socio-economic and political
development of our nations.
 We are meeting as a family of nations that seeks
to promote peace and coexistence among all nations of
the world and bring hope for the future. Our people
look to us, as leaders, to take the lead in promoting
peace, as enshrined in the Charter.
 We must find lasting solutions to all the
challenges. They include poverty, unemployment,
disease and global warming, but the major challenge is
to make peace within and among all nations happen.
By finding solutions, we shall indeed guarantee a clear
road towards the achievement of sustainable
development by all the nations of the world. We shall
achieve that noble goal if we all reaffirm and adhere to
the central role of the United Nations in global
governance.