The successful outcome of the United Nations Summit to adopt the post-2015 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) coincided with the seventieth anniversary of the Organization and reflected the joint resolve to face up to, over the 15 years, the many obstacles and global challenges that impede sustainable development for all. The Heads of State and
Government adopted a historic agreement whose goals aim at eradicating poverty and restoring dignity to each individual so that all might enjoy their freedoms and rights.
The twenty-first century should meet the expectations of peoples for higher social justice and for shared prosperity and a healthy environment that is respectful of future generations, as was quite rightly underlined by His Holiness Pope Francis in front of the General Assembly (see A/70/PV.3). The proliferation of conflicts and crises and the millions of victims caught up in their destructive wake further strengthen our determination to pursue the transformation of current models, whose ambition is to match the challenges we are facing.
The continuing tragedy in Syria and the barbaric means used by extremist groups, which is being propagated in West Africa and the Middle East, fill us with horror. Such groups indiscriminately target religious minorities, civilians, women and children — the latter always being the most common victims. In addition, the international community cannot remain indifferent in the face of the destruction of our common human heritage, such as the temples in Palmyra. They are a symbol of the Middle East as the cradle of a culture for thousands of years. We therefore strongly support the Secretary-General’s “Rights Up Front” initiative and his endeavour to establish a plan of action on preventing violent extremism.
In that regard, I should like to remind members that Monaco co-sponsored Security Council resolution 2178 (2014), on foreign terrorist fighters and combating violent extremism. The Principality of Monaco is already implementing Security Council resolutions on freezing assets and imposing economic sanctions on people who might be connected to terrorist networks. Furthermore, Monaco is currently reinforcing its legal framework in the area of national security. We are also actively participating in the fight against money laundering for funds coming from illicit activities.
We are aware of the importance of cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations. Monaco therefore continues to support a peaceful solution to the crisis in Ukraine. We did so over the course of the last three months of 2014, when we chaired the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Forum for Security Co-operation,
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and we continue to do so today by supporting the work of the OSCE Observer Mission.
The past few months have seen flows of migrants in Europe that have been unprecedented since the Second World War. The dire humanitarian consequences require a coordinated multilateral approach. The European Union plan in that regard provides a timely response. The principle of the responsibility to protect was endorsed by His Serene Highness Prince Albert 10 years ago from this high rostrum; it must be the basis for our collective action in the face of genocide, ethnic cleansing and other crimes against humanity.
The primary responsibility bestowed by the charter of the Security Council to maintain international peace and security brings me to commend the courageous initiative taken by France and Mexico in calling for the voluntary and collective suspension of the right of veto by its five permanent members when dealing with mass atrocities. I take this opportunity today to announce Monaco’s official support for that initiative, as well as the one presented by the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group to develop a code of conduct that would apply to all Member States.
Let me also express our gratitude to those who promote such specific and ethical measures to reinforce the effectiveness of the Security Council and make its decisions more convincing in the face of public opinion. All of the efforts made to promote better representation in the Security Council merit support. My Government welcomes the recent developments in the intergovernmental negotiation process.
In one month’s time we will celebrate the fifteenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, when the results of the global study on its implementation will be released. Unfortunately, we are too sadly familiar with the devastating consequences of conflicts for women, who are often the first victims when they are, however, not responsible for such conflicts. Along with children, they also represent the majority of refugees and displaced persons. Convinced of the importance of the full and active participation of women on an equal footing in preventing conflicts and peacefully resolving them, as well as in peacebuilding and peacekeeping, we therefore call for the implementation of specific measures.
The issues to be tackled by the first humanitarian summit proposed by the Secretary-General are of the
utmost importance, and all the more given that, in addition to the human tragedy I have just mentioned, we must also address the issues of the victims of climate change, natural disasters and a health crisis. In that regard, the international community will have to define a new humanitarian deployment framework that can respond to the growing and complex needs, can support financing and can complement operations by providing planning and long-term development.
Regional consultations have already highlighted the concerns of various stakeholders. They will allow for adequate responses to be found not only that meet the complexity of the humanitarian crises but also the specificity of each of the crises. Monaco has participated actively in that preparatory work, in line with our commitment in the context of our international cooperation policy and as part of the major mobilization by our non-governmental organizations and the Monegasque Red Cross.
The magnitude of the Ebola virus epidemic served once again to demonstrate the absolute need to build effective sustainable health systems that can face up to extraordinary situations. In that regard, Monaco has already expressed its support for the reform that has been begun by the World Health Organization.
The Addis Ababa Action Agenda was developed to facilitate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Goals and 169 targets. The aim is to find an effective way to transform our lifestyles. The technology facilitation mechanism launched during that summit reflects a spirit of collaboration among all development stakeholders for the benefit of developing countries. It also bears witness to the will of the international community to build capacity in a specific manner.
However, those efforts will not be successful without an ambitious and legally binding universal agreement that allows us to fight climate change effectively and to move towards low-carbon and resilient societies and economies. The Principality of Monaco is convinced that the twenty-first Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris, will be part of that trend and will help us to achieve a global climate agreement. Such an agreement is a sine qua non condition for the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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That is why Prince Albert has committed the Principality to reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, as compared with 1990 levels. He has also renewed his commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050. In setting those objectives, the Principality demonstrates its willingness to take a full part in the collective effort needed to face one of humankind’s biggest challenges. Despite its low emissions footprint, Monaco will continue to promote innovative means of transportation and consumption, as well as urban planning that is as green as possible.
We cannot talk about the climate without talking about the issue of the oceans, which play a central role in regulating the world’s climate. That is the reason that has led the Principality of Monaco to support the 2015 ocean and climate platform of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Monaco is pleased to see that this is an integral part of the sustainable development programme, which strengthens the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — a veritable constitution of the oceans. That is the sense behind the personal commitment of Prince Albert and also of his leadership of his Government’s actions in favour of healthy and productive oceans and seas. To ensure the implementation of this agenda, Monaco proposes to convene conferences every three years from 2017 onwards.
For small island developing States the ocean is not just a source of economic and social benefit, it is also an integral part of their identity. For that reason, Monaco has increased its cooperation for climate change adaptation and for the preservation of biodiversity as well as for access to water, the development of sustainable tourism and for capacity-building.
In conclusion, I should like to take this opportunity to remind the Assembly that for several years now Monaco has proposed increasing the protection of marine mammals from the growing threat caused by human beings. We hope that this proposal will be included in the omnibus draft resolution on oceans at this current session.
In 70 years, the United Nations has worked to honour the goals bestowed on it by the Charter. It has repeatedly adapted itself to emerging challenges that have transformed the world since its creation. The political will that prevailed during the United Nations Summit to adopt the Sustainable Development Goals
has served to encourage us to further strengthen the Organization by giving it the means to pursue its noble mandate. We have thus reaffirmed the legitimacy of the values and principles of the Charter of the United Nations in today’s world. The Principality of Monaco remains more than ever convinced that this is necessary, and it will continue to make its modest but resolute contribution to building a better world while respecting our differences.


This session is being held at a time when humankind is facing numerous challenges, some more difficult than others. Migration crises, humanitarian crises, immigration crises, deadly conflicts, terrorism, economic crises, climate change and pandemics are the challenges we face. It is obvious that, 70 years after the establishment of the United Nations, we are increasingly aware of the dangers that those situations pose, both for us and for future generations. That explains our presence and activities here and elsewhere in an effort to coordinate our many actions. More than ever before, the eyes of our peoples are on the United Nations. More than ever before, our Organization has shown itself to be a unique forum that is universal in nature and where humankind’s diverse concerns and aspirations can be wholly expressed.
The topic of this session provides us with an opportunity to take a look at how our Organization works. It also affords us a chance to develop forecasts and new prospects for the Organization’s future activities, by basing them on the main pillars of its agenda, namely, peace, security and human rights. It is time to acknowledge the solid nature of the United Nations and its leadership, expressed through Member States constantly working together to manage international affairs. Together, we organized the fight against poverty and major diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and we are now conquering Ebola.
Together, we have fought for the rights of vulnerable persons such as the disabled, the elderly, indigenous peoples and women and children, including widows and orphans. We should underscore, in passing, that in 2010
the General Assembly, on Gabon’s initiative, adopted the resolution to establish International Widows Day (resolution 65/189). We have come together to respond to humanitarian emergencies, global warming and other cross-border threats. Together, we are working to effectively respond to the many security challenges stemming from terrorism and other cross-border threats. Together, we have made progress in the area of international criminal justice in order to be more effective in combating impunity. Working together, we have also fostered dialogue among cultures and civilizations, strengthened relations among the peoples of the world and lowered identity barriers.
Despite our many efforts, however, international peace and security unfortunately continue to be threatened, as we witness in the emergence of new challenges. Our Organization must adopt a new structure in order to adapt to the new international environment. New threats have emerged in the form of terrorism, maritime piracy, trafficking of all kinds and smuggling. Such threats call for new kinds of responses. My country welcomes the fact that the Security Council is taking those new threats under its consideration. It is in that regard that Gabon contributed, when we were a member of the Security Council in 2010-2011, to adopting a historic resolution on the impact of the HIV/ AIDS epidemic on international peace and security (Security Council resolution 1983 (2011)).
In that same vein, I would like to mention the Security Council presidential statement on the illicit circulation of small and light weapons in Central Africa (S/PRST/2010/6). On the initiative of Gabon and Germany, the General Assembly adopted, on 30 July 2015, a resolution on illegal trafficking in wildlife (resolution 69/314). I am delighted at the large number of sponsors, which reflected an unprecedented level of support from the international community on the matter. That resolution also reflected our willingness to pool our efforts — countries of origin, transit and destination — in order to end that phenomenon. I believe that we will be more effective if we work together. Gabon would like to encourage the Organization, particularly the Security Council, to continue efforts to overcome those threats, with a view to developing more suitable and comprehensive responses to the current security challenges.
Several crises continue in Africa despite the efforts of the Security Council, the African Union and subregional organizations. In the Central African
Republic in particular, despite the progress made this year, the situation remains fragile and a cause for concern. Events in recent days have proved that the stability in the country must be strengthened. We must redouble our efforts to move towards a transition. I invite the stakeholders to exercise greater restraint and to prioritize dialogue so as not to undermine efforts being made to restore peace in the country. The international community must work together to assist the Central African Republic in holding elections before the end of the year. That country will then be able to put an end to the current troubled period in its history.
In the Middle East, the situation between Israel and Palestine remains a source of concern. The international community must become more involved in efforts to resume the peace negotiations. Resolving other, similarly complex situations in other regions of the world has proved that there is no challenge that cannot be overcome. The establishment of a Palestinian State remains the only viable prospect for guaranteeing peace in the subregion. We must work together to ensure that the State of Palestine and Israel can coexist in peace and mutual acceptance.
I would also like to welcome the positive developments this year in the relations between Cuba and the United States of America in the wake of the normalization agreement and the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. I would like to believe that this development will soon result in the lifting of the embargo against Cuba.
The nagging question of the ongoing threat posed by the excessive accumulation of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, can be resolved only within the framework of multilateral mechanisms, such as the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). My country remains firmly committed to the international system of non-proliferation, as enshrined in the relevant instruments, such as the NPT. That is why I welcome the recent agreement between the international community and the Islamic Republic of Iran concerning its nuclear programme.
The terrorist threat continues to expand throughout the world. Besides the Middle East, Africa has become a new theatre of operations for a number of terrorist groups. In West Africa and Central Africa, the Boko Haram sect spreads terror and resists countermeasures by the countries on the front line. In East Africa, especially in Somalia, Al-Shabaab commita devastating
atrocities and continues to challenge the African Union Mission in Somalia.
If we are to be more effective in the fight against terrorism, we must necessarily strengthen international cooperation. We must pool our efforts to address that scourge. With good international cooperation we could benefit from the increased monitoring of the financial flows that fuel the phenomenon. My country reaffirms its solidarity with all initiatives to combat international terrorism in all its forms.
There has been significant and undeniable progress in the area of human rights worldwide. Through United Nations assistance, political systems have become open and national institutions ensuring equality and justice for all have been put into place within nations. At the request of the Member States, the United Nations undertook the reform of the Commission on Human Rights and transformed it into the Human Rights Council. The goal was to make the body more proactive, less politicized and, above all, more effective. I welcome the part that my country played in that effort. The support that Member States gave the Gabonese presidency of the Council enabled Gabon make significant progress towards achieving the objectives intended by that reform. I wish to thank Member States for that support.
For my country, the improvement of human rights must first be considered from an educational, not a political, point of view. The United Nations must engage in an ongoing dialogue with Member States to help them overcome the challenges that they face with regard to respect for human rights. Confrontation in that area does not appear to be constructive to me.
The maintenance and consolidation of peace necessarily depends on the reform of the Security Council. That ambition also calls for the reform of peacekeeping operations. Gabon reiterates its support for making the Security Council more democratic so that it involves all regions when it developments and implements its decisions. It is from that perspective that we reiterate our full commitment to the African position, as expressed in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, and to the ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on the issue. The time is opportune to translate the reform, which has been accepted and desired by all, into action.
The question of the use of the veto is an integral part of the Security Council reform process. My
country supports the initiative of France and Mexico on the rational use of the veto by the Council’s permanent members.
For several years, peacekeeping operations, which are the specialized arm of the Security Council, have been the subject of profound restructuring. I welcome the recommendations of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. I am particularly interested in the recommendations concerning the use of new technologies and improved communications between local populations and mission personnel, on the one hand, and between the Secretariat and contributing countries, on the other. I also support that sustainable development during the post-conflict phase is being taken into account.
Furthermore, in order to be more effective, peacekeeping missions should receive predictable financing and clear mandates of limited duration so as to avoid their becoming unduly long. In certain circumstances, the mandates must be more robust, especially when there is no alternative but to impose peace. In that case, based on Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, we should be able to provide peacekeeping operations with mandates that authorize the military to resort to force to impose peace. We must be able to give peacekeeping operations the mandate to create conditions for peace rather than to maintain a fragile peace framed by a ceasefire agreement.
The revitalization of the work of the General Assembly is another aspect of United Nations reform desired by the majority of Member States. I welcome resolution 69/321 on that issue, adopted on 11 September 2015. I am convinced that the resolution will strengthen the Assembly, which is the most representative body of the United Nations.
Climate change, another new threat to international peace and security, is increasingly affecting our ecosystems and the survival of the planet. If we do not act today, the consequences will be devastating — floods in some areas, droughts in others and even breaches of the peace in certain cases. My country notes the relative progress made in the process of negotiations in Bonn. However, I note that just two months before the upcoming twenty-first Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris, those negotiations are far from attaining any preliminary agreement before we set to work in earnest to conclude an agreement at
the Conference. The gravity of the situation requires that we, leaders of the world, be able to courageously overcome our differences and make every effort to reach agreement in Paris. The climate situation continues to deteriorate.
In the opinion of the experts, the year 2014 was the warmest ever, and everything suggests an increase of 4°C, 5°C or 6°C in global warming if nothing is done today. It is therefore time for us to assume our responsibilities and make the right decisions, the decisions that our peoples expect of us. It is a question of the survival of humankind and the legacy we bequeath to future generations. Africa and South America, which are the two lungs of the planet, have a fundamental role to play in the negotiations. That is why I appeal to the Heads of State and Government of those two regional poles to conduct constant consultations during the Paris negotiations.
It is commonly said that climate change has a close connection with the migration crisis. The fight against climate change will certainly help reduce extreme poverty. The desired solutions involve, among other things, the development of the energy and water sectors, but they must also include increased Government investment in such areas as education and professional training. Africa needs electricity and water. Africa also needs to create jobs to improve the well-being of its populations. Providing responses to the climate change through the development of a new economic model will enable people to remain in their home countries. It is therefore important that the international community mobilize to set up coping mechanisms to mitigate the effects of global warming.
Since the Copenhagen Conference, Gabon has, through me, has continued to call for the adoption of a universal and binding agreement on climate change. The upcoming Paris Conference in December will enable us to achieve that vital objective. To achieve it, we must avoid the mistakes made in Copenhagen. The crucial nature of the Conference is such that it cannot be postponed for another year, because what is at stake is the survival of humankind. If we postpone it, it will be too late.
Over the course of recent decades the world has changed at a fast pace, an evolution that unfortunately is in contrast with the inflexibility of the ideas, institutions, rules and practices that form the framework of global governance. A new architecture whose legitimacy is
founded on the participation of all in the management of the affairs of the world is now necessary. The United Nations must resolutely embark on the path of reform if it wishes to continue to play a strategic and diplomatic role at the highest global level.
Now that democracy is a cardinal value, the organization of world affairs should no longer be based on the precept of balance of power. An international system based on power, whether balanced or coordinated, has the disadvantage of promoting hierarchy and the marginalization of small States and accentuating the absence of reciprocity. On the other hand, multilateralism, of which the United Nations is the guarantor, favours collective security over the balance of power, inclusion over selection.
Seventy years after the establishment of the United Nations, the growing number of its States Members shows that the world has definitely opted for multilateralism. Such intention necessarily involves an innovative political plan based on the principles of equality, inclusion, indivisibility and reciprocity. That is the primary goal of the United Nations. May the Almighty help us to achieve it.


On behalf of the Government and the people of Nigeria, I would like to congratulate the President and his country on his election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventieth session. May I also express appreciation to his predecessor, Mr. Sam Kahamba Kutesa, and to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, both of whom worked tirelessly to ensure the proper articulation of the post-2015 development agenda and to maintain the focus and commitment to the ideals of the United Nations. I also thank the Secretary-General for his recent visit to Nigeria, where we held very useful discussions.
Fifty-five years ago, almost to the day, my predecessor, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Alhaji Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, stood in this forum to declare Nigeria’s desire to develop and maintain friendly relations with all countries. He also assured the world of our country’s commitment to upholding the principles upon which the United Nations was founded.
My country has lived by that conviction, even when, for instance, judgements went against us in territorial disputes with our neighbours. We respected those judgements and abided by them as a mark of respect for the rule of law and the Charter of the United Nations. Nigeria’s record in the service of United Nations peacekeeping operations is second to none. I myself, as a young officer in the Nigerian army, did several tours of duty in the Congo and Lebanon. Nigeria has contributed to United Nations peacekeeping efforts in Ethiopia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Darfur. Furthermore, we are proud of our contributions to other activities of the United Nations, including the Peacebuilding Commission, the Human Rights Council and security-sector reform.
We are gratified to note that most countries have pledged their commitment to the post-2015 development agenda in the form of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) contained therein, along with their means of implementation. That successor framework to the Millennium Development Goals has come with lofty aspirations and, if I may say so, heroic assumptions. Nonetheless, the new Goals target broad- ranging development cooperation by the international community up to the year 2030, and they deserve universal support. That is because the SDGs mirror the hopes and aspirations of much of the world.
I should stress that for the newly adopted SDGs to be truly global, they must be practical. In that regard, the Agenda’s core objectives of eradicating poverty and reducing inequalities must be met within the framework of revitalized global partnership support and concrete policies and actions, as outlined in the Addis Ababa Agenda on Financing for Development. Luckily, those two core objectives of the SDGs are precisely at the centre of the agenda of Nigeria’s new Administration.
It must be emphasized that foreign direct investment, supplemented, where suitable, by official development assistance, as outlined in the Addis Ababa Agenda, are necessary, though not sufficient, conditions for accelerated development in countries that are trying to catch up. In that connection, I would like to appeal to industrialized countries to redeem their pledges to devote 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product to development assistance. With the sole exception of the United Kingdom, all the countries concerned, so I am told, have still to meet that United Nations requirement. With the SDGs, we have the opportunity to improve the lives of people, not just in the developing world but in all nations.
The Secretary-General himself has listed six essential elements for delivering on the SDGs, namely, dignity, prosperity, justice, partnership, planet and people. As a prerequisite to those elements, and as we look at history and remember the terrible events that gave rise to the birth of the United Nations in 1945, I would like to propose a seventh essential element, namely, peace.
Peace is close to the hearts of Nigerians, as we are in the front line in the war on terror. Boko Haram’s war against the people of Nigeria, Chad, the Niger and
Cameroon may not attract as much worldwide attention as the wars in the Middle East, but the suffering is just as great and the human cost is equally high. This is a war about values between progress and chaos. It concerns democracy and the rule of law. Boko Haram celebrates violence against the weak and the innocent and, deplorably, hides behind its perverted interpretation of Islam. Boko Haram is as far from Islam as can possibly be imagined.
Many of my colleagues present in this forum want to know how our new Government intends to tackle the huge problems that we have inherited. Friends of Nigeria and foreign investor partners will be encouraged to know that the new Government is attacking the problems we inherited head-on. We intend to tackle the inequalities arising from massive unemployment and the previous Government’s policies that favoured a few people to the detriment of the many. We intend to emphasize quality technological education for development and lay a foundation for the comprehensive care of the aged, the disadvantaged and the infirm. But for now, terrorism is the immediate problem.
Accordingly, the new Nigerian Government, which I have the honour to head, has moved with dispatch to implement a bold and robust strategy to defeat Boko Haram. Nigeria and its neighbours — Cameroon, Chad, the Niger and Benin — are working together to face the common threat within the regional framework of the Lake Chad Basin Commission. We have established a multinational joint task force to confront, degrade and defeat Boko Haram. We have driven them away from many of their strongholds, killed or captured many of their operatives and commanders and freed several hundreds of hostages. One of our major aims is to rescue the Chibok girls alive and unharmed. We are working around the clock to ensure their safety and eventual reunion with their families. The Chibok girls are constantly on our minds and in our plans.
Terrorism is by no means the main or the only evil threatening and undermining the well-being of societies around the world. Corruption, cross-border financial crime, cybercrime, human trafficking, communicable diseases, climate change and the proliferation of weapons are all major challenges of the twenty-first century that the international community must tackle collectively. I would like to reaffirm the Nigerian Government’s unwavering commitment to fighting corruption and illicit financial flows. By any measure, corruption and cross-border financial crimes
are impediments to development, economic growth and the realization of the well-being of citizens across the globe.
Nigeria is ready and willing to partner with international agencies and individual countries on a bilateral basis to confront crime and corruption. In particular, I call upon the international community to urgently redouble its efforts to strengthen the mechanisms for dismantling safe havens for the proceeds of corruption and for ensuring the return of stolen funds and assets to their countries of origin.
The world is now facing another big new challenge, that is, human trafficking. It is an old evil that has taken on an altogether new and dangerous dimension, which threatens to upset international relationships. We in Africa are grieved to see in the international media the hundreds of thousands of our able-bodied men and women who are fleeing to Europe, with thousands dying in the process in the desert or drowning in the Mediterranean. We condemn in the strongest possible terms traffickers in human beings and will support any measures to apprehend and bring them to justice. At the same time, we greatly appreciate European Governments, particularly those of Italy and Germany, for their understanding and humane treatment of those refugees.
Last year, our continent faced the dreadful outbreak of Ebola. We sincerely thank the international community for its collective efforts to contain that deadly disease. We are not out of the woods yet, but we would like to express our appreciation to the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China, which, in collaboration with the host countries, provided outstanding assistance to stop the spread of Ebola and to care for those infected.
Nigeria fully subscribes to and endorses Goals 13, 14 and 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals with regard to climate change. In Nigeria, desertification and land erosion and degradation, which lead to biodiversity loss, are real threats to our environment and, under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, we will propose a regional approach to combating those environmental challenges. In that connection, we look forward to the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Paris in December. That Summit should give humankind hope
that the looming threat faced by many communities around the world is being addressed.
We are witnessing a dreadful increase in conflicts fuelled by the availability of small arms and light weapons. I call upon all Member States to show the political will needed to uphold the Charter of the United Nations in that regard. For a start, robust implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty will guarantee that small arms and light weapons are transferred only in a legal manner. Arms traffickers and human traffickers are two evil species that the international community needs to eradicate.
As we engage in these annual debates, we must remind ourselves of the principles that led to the founding of the United Nations years ago. Among them are the peaceful coexistence and self-determination of peoples. In that context, the unresolved question of self-determination for the peoples of Palestine and Western Sahara, both nations having been adjudged by the United Nations as being entitled to that inalienable right, must now be resolved without any further delay or obstacle.
The international community has come to pin its hopes on resolving the Palestinian issue through the two-State solution, which recognizes the legitimate right of each State to exist in peace and security. The world has no more excuses or reasons to delay the implementation of the long list of Security Council resolutions on that question, nor do we have the moral right to deny any people their freedom or condemn them indefinitely to occupation and blockade.
The United Nations is 70 years old. As the world’s forum, it can count many more than 70 major achievements. It is my hope that in the next 70 years it will take control of the climate, help to eliminate communicable diseases, eliminate major and local conflicts and thereby eliminate the refugee problem, take major steps towards reducing harmful inequalities among nations and within nations and, above all, eliminate nuclear weapons.


Several weeks ago, as we prepared to address this historic seventieth session of the General Assembly on the post-2015 development agenda and in the general debate, we pondered issues of significance to our country, our region, small island developing States (SIDS) and our planet. We decided then, as we have done in the past, that we must highlight the challenges brought about by the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and the resulting changes in global climate. That is a major threat to our planet, with a disproportionate impact on SIDS.
Our concerns have been magnified since 27 August, when Tropical Storm Erika brought with it up to 18 inches of rain in 16 hours in Dominica, with a concentration of heavy continuous rainfall over a five-hour period. The intensity of the rainfall led to rapid flash flooding and numerous landslides in several communities. Dominica was severely impacted, with 13 people confirmed dead and 17 still missing, while roads, bridges, houses, public buildings and the main airport were devastated. Two communities in the south of Dominica had to be evacuated, displacing hundreds of families.
According to an initial assessment conducted by the World Bank, the Government of Dominica and other partners, Tropical Storm Erika caused losses and damage to infrastructure in the amount of up to 1.3 billion East Caribbean dollars, or $483 million. In
less than 24 hours, 90 per cent of Dominica’s gross domestic product was wiped out, and over 7,000 people were severely affected. Most of the damage was sustained in the transport, housing and agriculture sectors.
Owing to the magnitude of the damage and the limited resources of our country, we had to depend on support from outside Dominica to provide immediate relief to those who were affected. The outpouring of support allowed us to bring emergency relief to all people in a timely manner. On behalf of the people and Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, and on my own behalf, I wish to extend our profound gratitude to all the countries, governmental and non-governmental organizations and Dominicans, at home and abroad, for their tremendous support during our time of need.
We also thank those partners that have pledged their commitment to working with us during the rebuilding of a stronger and more climate-resilient Dominica. My Government and people will forever be grateful to those who extended the hand of friendship to us. With the help of God, the international community and the resolve and resilience of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of Dominica, we will build a stronger and more resilient Dominica. In building a better and stronger Dominica, we will, of necessity, have to factor into our constructions and settlements measures that will provide resilience and adaptation to the impact of climate change.
We therefore expect that replacing and restoring damaged infrastructure will be more expensive than it has been in the past. That extra cost undermines our progress in achieving sustainable development, because of the constant need to re-allocate resources from nationally identified priority areas to address the challenges — challenges brought about, to a large extent, by climate change. Those are factors that contribute to the high debt burden of small island developing States such as Dominica.
At times like these, in order to respond effectively to the disaster, we urgently need the assistance of the international community, to make available, in a timely manner, access to grants, concessionary financing and development assistance. That is of critical importance to ensure that the gains we have made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals are not reversed and that we are able to meet the agreed Sustainable
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Development Goals (SDGs). Beyond the immediate present, the Commonwealth of Dominica calls for an international natural-disaster-risk fund to provide financial resources to small island developing States that have been impacted by natural disasters. In the case of the Caribbean States, that could be in collaboration with or an extension to the catastrophic risk fund that exists in the Caribbean Development Bank. We propose that that special natural-disaster-risk fund should be capitalized by the annex I parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, other major greenhouse-gas emitters and voluntary contributions by other countries.
Over the past decade, the impact of climate change has wreaked havoc on Caribbean SIDS. In 2004, Hurricane Ivan, a category 3 system, wiped out twice the value of the gross domestic product of Grenada — approximately $1 billion — and left 18,000 people without shelter, food and personal belongings. On 24 December 2013, we were violently reminded of the impact of slow-moving weather systems on the lives of our Caribbean people. Dominica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were set back by 3.4 per cent, 1.4 per cent and 12.8 per cent of their gross domestic products, respectively.
We in the Caribbean have been on the receiving end of the impact of climate change for decades. We therefore know from our own experiences that the impact of climate change represents a real and present danger to the existence of small island States like Dominica. We are living the effects of climate change. Even as recently as yesterday, our sister Caribbean island country of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas was impacted by Hurricane Joaquin. We stand in solidarity with the Government and people of the Bahamas, as they struggle to deal with the devastation that it has caused.
As we move closer to the twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) later this year, we trust that all States parties are heeding the warnings of the scientific community and the plea of those of us who experience the impact of climate change on a daily basis, and that they are preparing to make serious commitments to reducing global warming. It will be crucial at COP21 to put in place a system that makes possible the achievement of the not-more-than 1.5°C goal, by agreeing to the highest possible levels of mitigation, ambition, finance and a
very rigorous system for transparency, complemented by a compliance regime.
However, while such commitments are commendable and should reduce and hopefully reverse the trend of increasing global mean temperature, the slow onset of events of climate change will continue to have severe impacts on developing countries. We therefore call for the establishment at COP21 of a new loss and damage mechanism that will take into account the impact of climate change and provide resources for SIDS to respond to those challenges.
The recently concluded Summit on the post-2015 development agenda laid out a highly robust and people-centred framework that we must all commit to implementing for the sake of a better tomorrow for our citizens and future generations. We must participate and play our individual and collective roles in ensuring that all 17 of the Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals and its 169 targets are not merely aspirational but also achievable. We were gratified to see several of our priority issues reflected in the text, such as a need to build resilience and to conserve and sustainably use oceans and seas; food security; water and sanitation; affordable, reliable and sustainable energy; crime; climate change; and sustainable consumption and production, among others.
It is up to all of us, individually and collectively, to ensure the realization of the SDGs. The Commonwealth of Dominica is therefore encouraged by the strides that small island developing States are making towards the attainment of SDG 7, on affordable and clean energy. Just a few days ago, on 27 September, SIDS demonstrated their leadership, by creating the first-ever intergovernmental organization for SIDS, the Small Island Developing States Sustainable Energy Initiative (SIDS DOCK). The statute came into force with a membership of 32, creating a sustainable energy and climate-resilient organization. SIDS DOCK is intended to provided a collective voice, financial leverage and implementation mechanisms to transform our national energy sectors into catalysts for sustainable low-carbon economic development and help us meet the urgent need to mitigate, adapt and build resilience to climate change. The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica is proud to have had the opportunity to serve as the Chair of the steering committee responsible for the establishment of this first-ever intergovernmental organization of SIDS.
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On behalf of the States members of SIDS DOCK, we wish to express our gratitude to our partners, Denmark and Japan, which have made our initiative possible. We also extend our thanks to the Government of Austria and the United Nations Development Programme for being genuine partners in the spirit of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway and establishing the earliest centres for renewable energy and energy efficiency in the Caribbean and Pacific. We also thank the Government of Sweden for its support for the development of the project pipeline. We look forward to their continued partnership in that and other initiatives aimed at achieving the SDGs.
SIDS are equally concerned about sustainably utilizing and conserving local resources, such as our oceans, seas and marine resources, for the benefit of all our people. SDG 14 creates an opportunity for SIDS to have more control over the vast marine area, which when combined is six times larger than the land mass of the European Union. For small island States — or, more appropriately, large ocean States — we are the oceans. We therefore endorse the We Are the Ocean initiative being developed and co-chaired by the Marshall Islands and Grenada, with the Commonwealth of Dominica playing a major coordinating role. As a response to that need, a few days ago, at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative, SIDS DOCK, together with partners, launched the Blue Guardians. We look forward to participating in that initiative.
The Commonwealth of Dominica is encouraged by the emphasis that the Addis Ababa Action Agenda has placed on the mobilization of support for the post- 2015 development agenda. A combination of financing modalities and sources is essential to assist developing countries meet their development goals by providing access to essential public services, ending hunger, reducing poverty and enhancing the lives of all people. Dominica is therefore committed to and supports the call for us to incorporate sustainable development and the pursuit of equity, including gender equality, women and girls’ empowerment, and social inclusion, in our domestic policies. Those policies are consistent with the goals my Government has been committed to and has been promoting since the dawn of the century.
Our efforts notwithstanding, middle-income SIDS like Dominica are a special category that must be recognized and dealt with in a manner that reflects our realities. The measure of per capita income as a qualifier for determining access to official
development assistance and concessionary financing distorts the true situation of SIDS and ignores our special vulnerabilities. The public debt stock is another essential indicator that must be factored in when the true state of middle-income SIDS is considered. High debt overhang makes it difficult for SIDS to provide essential public services. That is compounded by the fragility of our economies and the constant threat and impact of natural disasters, which make us especially vulnerable. In fact, according to a recent report by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, it is estimated that the economic cost of natural disasters in Caribbean countries over the 2000- 2014 period exceeded $30.7 billion.
Furthermore, I am advised that at least 40 per cent of the debt burden of Caribbean States is due to debt incurred in responding to natural disasters. A single major natural disaster can set back one of our small islands for more than a decade by obliterating the country’s gross domestic product overnight. The recent cases of Grenada and Dominica illustrate that point vividly. In order for financing for sustainable development to be effective, durable and genuine, there must be partnerships based on mutual respect. Development partners, especially intergovernmental agencies and financial institutions, must be more responsive to the needs of SIDS. Interventions therefore must reflect the aspirations of the people and be informed by genuine participation and local ownership.
The traditional North-South relationship must be reset to embrace collaboration and cooperation rather than prescription and dictation. The new approach should be enhanced by South-South and triangular cooperation. We therefore encourage countries in the South that have the means to do so to support South- South and triangular cooperation, to build essential public infrastructure, to provide financing and to participate in science and technology innovation and capacity-building.
The People’s Republic of China, for example, has emerged as a leader in South-South cooperation. The South has been benefiting from China’s role in economic and social development through bilateral cooperation. We commend the efforts by the People’s Republic of China for its role in establishing the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, thereby creating a multilateral platform for South-South cooperation as an extension to its excellent bilateral cooperation. Our cooperation with the People’s Republic of China has
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brought about major improvements in our country’s infrastructure, education, health care, sports, national security and agriculture. We thank China for its contribution to the people of Dominica.
South-South cooperation in some cases has created economic space for our countries to implement infrastructure and social programmes for the benefit of our people. A case in point is the PetroCaribe arrangement by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in which Latin American and Caribbean countries are provided with a reliable supply of oil and oil products under favourable terms and conditions. That spirit of solidarity is a shining example of South-South cooperation. The leadership of Venezuela has also led to the creation of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA). ALBA has funded and continues to fund development programmes in agriculture, infrastructure, education and health care in Dominica and its other member States, especially in the Caribbean.
Similarly, the Republic of Cuba has been a leader in South-South and triangular cooperation. Cuba has provided tremendous support to countries in the Latin America and Caribbean region and as far away as Africa, thanks to its vast pool of human resources, especially in health care and education. At the same time, Cuba has provided capacity-building and technology transfer in essential areas.
We applaud the actions taken by President Barack Obama to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States. The removal of Cuba from the United States list of countries that sponsor terrorism is an endorsement of the call that Dominica, the Caribbean Community and the majority of the States Members of the United Nations have been making for almost two decades. Those steps are undoubtedly steps in the right direction, that is, towards the full integration of Cuba into the international, economic, financial and trading systems. We appeal to the legislative branch of the United States Government to allow President Obama to complete the process by lifting all sanctions on Cuba.
Almost 70 years ago, on 24 October 1945, the United Nations came into existence when 29 nations ratified the Charter of the United Nations. The impact of two major wars in short succession had devastated the world, leaving millions dead. The world vowed “never again”. The world of today is far different than it was 70 years ago. There are far more Member States and the
balance of power has shifted slightly, with the South playing a greater role. Human development has been unprecedented, moving more people out of poverty, and yet so much more needs to be done. We have placed our planet in peril from the existential threat of climate change. The rise of terrorism and radicalization throughout the world, especially in Iraq and Syria, is an attack on peace and security everywhere.
We therefore must resolve to enhance the role of the United Nations in resolving matters that go beyond borders and affect all of humankind and our planet. That requires changes to the working methods of the General Assembly and a more representative Security Council to reflect today’s realities. We must continue to call for the protection of our planet. We must listen to and heed the cries of those who are suffering throughout the world. We must create and adopt policies that address the pressing needs of the most vulnerable among us. Above all else, we must continue to work to resolve the issues that threaten the peace and stability of our nations.


Senegal, through me, warmly congratulates the President and wishes him every success in conducting the work of this session. We thank his Ugandan predecessor for his service to the Assembly.
Seventy years after the creation of our Organization, we are walking in the footsteps of the founding fathers to renew our collective faith in the ideals of peace, security, development and respect for human rights. Those values inspire the principal mission of the Organization of preserving the world from the scourge of war, creating the conditions necessary to the maintenance of justice, promoting social progress and ensuring a better standard of living in greater freedom.
Seventy years later, that mission has become more burdensome and our world increasingly complex. Seventy years on, peace, which is not only the absence of war, but also development and human security, remains threatened by extreme poverty, hunger, disease and the unprecedented degradation of the environment.
It is Senegal’s hope that the Paris Climate Change Conference will be successful and adopt binding commitments to controlling global warming and mobilizing adequate financial resources and transfers of environmentally friendly technologies.
We face other changes, because the world is still struggling to overcome the hideous mask of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and violent extremism. Human beings are being targeted, rejected and attacked due merely to the color of their skin, their beliefs or social background. Migrant workers are being discriminated against and excluded from public policies, even though they are contributing by the sweat of their brow to the prosperity of their host country. No country can be indifferent to the tragedy of war.
As a welcoming and hospitable country, Senegal appeals for greater openness and generosity for migrants. These are individuals who have been forced to leave their countries in a quest to save their lives.
Indeed, we face many urgent problems. Nonetheless, the promise of a better world is still within our reach, and we can achieve it if we accept that this is a plural world, that all cultures and civilizations are equal in dignity and that change is the main dynamic that shapes the course of history.
Over the years, 142 countries have joined the 51 founding Members of the Organization. Through the wealth of their contributions and the diversity of their needs, Member States confer an unequalled degree of universality upon the United Nations system. The world in 2015 is therefore not the same as the world of 1945, and if we wish to keep the promises made in the Charter of the United Nations, we must abandon our old ways of
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doing business. Common sense requires that we change our vision of the present and of the future. That is what will ensure that our Organization will remain faithful to its vocation as the unique hub where our efforts can work together towards a common end.
It makes sense to enlarge the Security Council to ensure that it reflects these new realities that we all represent here. Senegal, which is a candidate this year for a non-permanent seat on the Council, reasserts its commitment to the African Common Position on Security Council reform, in line with the Ezulwini Consensus. It makes sense to reform global economic and financial governance through a more equitable representation of the new realities and greater flexibility with regard to access to credit, to put an end to the paradox of resources that are available but not accessible. In our mining industries, it makes sense to establish, along with transparency, codes and contracts that are fairer and more equitable, reward and protect the investor and preserve the interests of States and local populations. It makes sense to combat more vigorously illicit financial flows that cost Africa between $30 billion and $60 billion per year — a loss that is more than official development assistance. If Africa were to receive fair payment for its resources and recover the equivalent of 17 per cent of those assets that have been fraudulently invested abroad, it could settle the entirety of its debt and finance its own development needs.
As the current President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), I am pleased to say that our subregion has continued on the path of progress. Economic growth remains above the global average and our democracy, in spite of everything, is being consolidated. We are also determined to pursue our efforts for peace and stability. I reiterate the unfailing commitment of ECOWAS to the Peace Agreement in Mali, while respecting national unity and the territorial integrity of the country, and to a successful transition in Burkina Faso. I call upon the international community and the Security Council in particular, to remain attentive to Burkina Faso. We also support Nigeria and other countries in their fight against Boko Haram. We support stable institutions in Guinea-Bissau. We will also continue to work together to eradicate the remnants of the Ebola virus in affected countries. As Chair of the Oslo Group on foreign policy and global health, Senegal will hold consultations during this session to draw the lessons from this health crisis.
As we move forward on the path of peace, we must strive towards a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict pursuant to the vision of two independent States living in peace within secure and internationally recognized borders. Throughout the world, peace is our common good. Along with democracy, human rights and cultural diversity, it is the corpus of values of the International Organization of La Francophonie, of which Senegal is currently holding the presidency. Our commitment to these ideals makes Senegal the seventh-largest troop contributor to peacekeeping operations among 128 countries. It has more than 3,600 troops deployed in eight missions.
Last year, the Security Council established a medal in memory of my compatriot, the late Captain Mbaye Diagne, to honour the men and women who, in serving peace, have demonstrated exceptional courage. As a member of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, Captain Diagne was killed on 31 May 1994 when a shell exploded as he was returning from one of his many rescue missions in the field. He was just 36 years old and was ready to go home. Senegal and his family are proud that his memory will be honoured in this manner. We have a wise saying in my country — man alone can save man — that heightens our sense of human solidarity and fraternity. May the spirit of Captain Mbaye Diagne inspire our joint march towards a better world of peace that is more just and welcoming for everyone.


It is an honour for me to address this historic seventieth session of the General Assembly. I extend to Mr. Mogens Lykketoft my sincere congratulations on his election to the presidency of the Assembly. We feel confident that under his capable
guidance, this session will inspire what he has called for in this seventieth year — a new commitment to action for international cooperation towards peace, security, human rights and economic justice for all persons.
I also express Jamaica’s profound gratitude to the outgoing President, His Excellency Sam Kutesa of Uganda, for his outstanding stewardship during what has been a truly defining year for the United Nations.
As we mark the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the Organization, let us reflect on its value and work over the decades. We concede that the United Nations is by no means perfect. Yet we shudder to contemplate the kind of world that would have emerged from the ravages of the Second World War without its existence. We recognize the commendable role played by the United Nations in various fields, from peacekeeping, human development and the protection of human rights, to the codification of international law and environmental sustainability. We also value and commend the work of the specialized agencies for their impressive achievements in agriculture, population studies, labour, industrial development, health and culture, among many other areas of pursuit. It is a record of which the international community can be justly proud.
At the same time, we acknowledge that the overall results have been mixed as we have fallen short of our expectations in some key areas. Today, our world continues to be plagued by poverty and strife, which place too many people in vulnerable situations. Suffering and inequality remain widespread and too many are marginalized and left behind. To tackle these challenges we must heed the call to do more and to do better. This is an historic moment and we must use it to muster our collective will to imbue this seventieth session with a firm determination to make the eighth decade in the life of our Organization a period of unparalleled achievement. Let us prioritize action over rhetoric.
Last week, we adopted the most comprehensive, universal global 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1) the world has yet seen. We have great expectations of the 2030 Agenda, but they will not be met without determined effort, the exercise of political will and the forging of genuine and durable partnerships between and among all States. We must also marshal the resources required at the
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national, regional and international levels to increase the likelihood of success.
The challenge posed by climate change is an existential one for the peoples of small island developing States (SIDS), whose lives and livelihoods too often hang in the balance. We therefore look for the continued support of the international community for SIDS. A key part of our work will be to ensure that, as we implement the new development paradigm, we fully address the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS, and the persistent economic and social challenges of countries in special situations, such as middle income countries. This must include the adoption of approaches to measuring development that reflects the realities of our countries.
In yet another reminder of the devastating and disproportionate impact of natural disasters on SIDS, our sister island of Dominica is currently struggling to recover from the ravages of tropical storm Erika. Jamaica joins the appeal to the international community to rally in support of the people of Dominica by assisting in the recovery, reconstruction and humanitarian efforts that are required. It is an unfortunate fact that such events will certainly occur again. In fact, another member of our Caribbean family, the Bahamas, is now being pummelled by Hurricane Joaquin. In spite of this fact, however, the international community can ensure the impact of the next natural disaster on our small island and low-lying coastal countries is lessened by helping us to improve our resilience in the face of these ever increasing calamities.
We firmly believe that the successes recorded by the Organization over the past years have reinforced the value of multilateralism as the best framework for tackling global problems. The adoption of the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action Pathway and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda are recent examples of our commitment to collective action. The next major step for multilateralism will come in a few weeks when we hope to conclude negotiations in Paris on a global agreement on climate change. We must capitalize on the momentum that we have generated throughout this year and work in concert to make the climate Conference a success for us all. The sustainability of our planet and the prosperity of our peoples depend on a meaningful outcome. We can and we must deliver for present and future generations.
Our deep concern about climate change underscores the urgent need to protect our oceans and seas. As host of the International Seabed Authority, Jamaica views with considerable interest developments that impact the preservation and sustainable use of the resources of the ocean for the benefit of mankind. We urge greater vigilance by all. Let us prioritize sustainable development over short-term goals.
The maintenance of international peace and security remains a most urgent and demanding objective of this body. While we have avoided a war of global scale over the past 70 years, today we face increasingly complex, interconnected threats to our peace and security. Intra-State conflicts and terrorist activities have transformed the geopolitical landscape and increased the threats to international peace and security. In his annual report the Secretary-General (A/70/1), points to some alarming developments in which millions of people are engulfed by conflict and crisis, most notably in the Middle East and North Africa. Millions suffer the brutal tactics of violent extremists such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab.
Transnational organized crime and the presence of weapons of mass destruction continue to threaten international peace and security, while the proliferation of conventional arms in the hands of non-State actors pose a grave risk to many countries and regions. In the face of these crises, our peoples look to the United Nations to find solutions to end human suffering. Yet, the Organization has been impotent to respond in many of these situations, calling its credibility and relevance into question.
We must admit that traditional peace and security responses have to date proven grossly inadequate in the face of today’s diverse conflicts. With that in mind, Jamaica welcomes the Secretary-General’s timely initiative to review and assess the peacekeeping architecture undertaken by the eminent United Nations High-level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. We commend the resultant comprehensive agenda and robust action plan set out by the Secretary-General. As a proud police-contributing country, Jamaica is keen to participate in the forthcoming discussions within the General Assembly and in sharing the lessons learned and the ways we might use our enhanced understanding of the new contexts in which our peacekeepers are being deployed.
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We, the United Nations, must redouble our efforts to find new avenues for maintaining peace and security, through preventative approaches and the creation of durable solutions. Forging effective partnerships will be the key. History has shown us time and again that when the United Nations works with other actors within the international community, we can produce effective and enduring solutions to seemingly intractable challenges. As we move to decisively address threats to and breaches of international peace and security, I call on the Security Council to act more decisively to address these challenges. Let us prioritize peace over political expedience.
However, the Assembly continues to grapple with the urgent question of Security Council reform. Fortunately, the consensus decision of the sixty-ninth session is a call for the commencement of substantive, text-based negotiation during this historic seventieth session. That is a significant step forward and Jamaica is honoured to have made its contribution as Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations during the past session.
Jamaica is well aware that in our region, as elsewhere, peace and development are inextricably linked. However, they can fall prey to rising social and political tensions, which too often culminate in conflicts. For that reason we are pleased that on the occasion of the second Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States held in Cuba in 2014, our Community proclaimed Latin America and the Caribbean as a zone of peace.
Jamaica recognizes that it is through dialogue and mutual respect that we can begin to address many long- standing conflicts. We are therefore heartened to see the warming of relations between two of our closest neighbours and call on the United States Administration to take a further bold step by immediately lifting the unjust economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba. The Group has further noted and welcomed the efforts of the Secretary-General to facilitate a solution to the controversy between the two countries. The importance of keeping diplomatic channels open and engaging in dialogue was reiterated.
Jamaica remains concerned about the ongoing border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela. We therefore welcome the recent decision of our two neighbours to resume diplomatic dialogue with a view to bringing the controversy to an early end.
The conflict-fuelled humanitarian crises unfolding throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, the Mediterranean, and into Central Europe, require our urgent attention. So too do the humanitarian crises that impact people living in areas prone to natural disasters.
It is unthinkable that we should tolerate the immense suffering of millions, including vulnerable women and children. Let us be our brothers’ keeper and reach out in the universal and timeless spirit of “one love” so poignantly championed by Jamaica’s musical icon, the late Bob Marley. It is Jamaica’s hope that the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016 will signal a turning point in how we, the global community, treat with such crises in order to contain and reverse their effects, and where possible prevent their occurrence.
I now turn to the area of disarmament and arms control, which is in danger of becoming a neglected and forgotten goal of the United Nations. Sadly, the disarmament machinery has been languishing in a state of paralysis for the past 19 years. The vast expenditures on weapons and military equipment of all kinds, which consume a massive share of the world’s resources, could be more properly channelled into the development agenda that we have just adopted. By so doing, the world would not only be more prosperous, it would also be much safer and more secure.
We are disheartened that the international community has failed to seize the opportunity provided by the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to make significant progress on its commitment to ridding the world of nuclear weapons. We must invigorate our disarmament efforts through new and more effective approaches. Jamaica therefore supports efforts to address the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and joins the strong call for the negotiation of a legally binding instrument to prohibit their use, which is embodied in the recent humanitarian pledge endorsed by 114 States.
Of immediate concern to Jamaica is the proliferation of firearms of every description that endanger the lives of ordinary citizens, undermines the rule of law, threatens economic and social stability and fuels violent crime. Those who manufacture such weapons must exercise greater controls and support anti-proliferation efforts. The Arms Trade Treaty, which entered into force less than a year ago, can make a significant
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contribution to such efforts. We are therefore pleased that the recent convening of the first Conference of States Parties has laid the foundation for the full and effective implementation of the Treaty. Let us prioritize vision over short-term gain.
The promotion of human rights is a major pillar on which the United Nations was founded. We must remain resolute in our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights, knowing that every human being is equal in value and dignity and endowed with inalienable rights. In too many circumstances, the rights of the most vulnerable are treated with scant regard. Children are often exposed to a climate of violence and face persistent abuse; they are exploited and trafficked; used as labour and denied their fundamental rights. We must continue to take stronger action to protect our children and to safeguard their rights.
Persons with disabilities also face disproportionate hardships that hinder their ability to contribute effectively to their communities and societies. Jamaica is pleased to have recently passed its landmark Disabilities Act, which seeks to ensure that we fulfil our obligations to meet the needs and development aspirations of this important community. Across the world, we ought to make greater efforts to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities. We therefore welcome the higher number of ratifications of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities over the past year.
Too many women continue to face gross violations of their human rights. Too many are victims of trafficking, violence and discrimination, of unequal treatment before the law, and of subjugation and domination. I applaud the active efforts of UN-Women to realize women’s human rights. Jamaica is proud of its long-standing social legislation and its record of championing the rights of women, even as we recognize that more remains to be done, in keeping with the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.
Racism, xenophobia and other forms of racial intolerance must also be rooted out in order to help create a more level playing field for all peoples. The launch of the International Decade for People of African Descent last December was a welcome development in our collective efforts to address these issues. In this regard, I call upon Member States to ensure the full implementation of its programme of activities.
On the grounds of the United Nations now stands The Ark of Return, a monument erected in honour of the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade. Jamaica and its Caribbean Community partners in tandem with the African Union spearheaded this initiative with the generous support of the membership. For those who may not have had an opportunity to view it, I would urge you all to spend what will prove to be a worthwhile few moments of reflection at this memorial. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that the message of the memorial, that there is no place for racial discrimination in our world, continues to be passed on from generation to generation. Let us prioritize people over power.
In this seventieth year, let us reaffirm our commitment to the guiding principles of this Organization and place them firmly at the core of our efforts to attain our shared goals and objectives: sovereign equality of States, great and small; observance of fundamental human rights; the equal rights of men and women; respect for the rule of law and the Charter of the United Nations; the promotion of social progress and better standards of life for everyone; and a firm belief that diplomacy, not force, should be our recourse in the quest to resolve conflicts and advance development. Let us therefore prioritize our commitment to action, with renewed fervour and determination. In this noble endeavour I pledge Jamaica’s unwavering support and action.


The seventieth session of the General Assembly is being held amidst the grave challenges the world is facing on more than one level, especially in fighting terrorism, foremost among which is the terrorism of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Sham (ISIS). We in Iraq stand steadfastly and patiently with the world to ward off the monstrosity of those whose actions affect our country, the region and the world. This is happening, while international efforts continue to strengthen the pillars of peace and security, promote communication among the peoples of the world and attain human development. These efforts are all made under the auspices of the United Nations, which has worked tirelessly to uphold its major pillars of health care, education and raising living standards.
Since the United Nations Development Programme launched its first Human Development Report in 1990, the countries of the world, including Iraq, have anticipated improvements in their human development levels. We have pursued this goal so that people would become the means and targets of the development process. As a result of the flawed policies of the past dictatorial regime of Saddam Al-Hussein, the standard of human development fell after a series of wars that were fought by that regime and the deprivations and siege that Iraq suffered as a result of international sanctions.
The situation improved after the political regime changed and once a democratic atmosphere was promoted, particularly with the assistance provided by the United Nations, its specialized agencies and other international organizations. Our national institutions tried to bridge the development gap in fulfilment of the Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) adopted by the leaders of the world at the General Assembly in 2000 by concentrating on targets that were supposed to have been achieved by 2015.
We in Iraq made tangible progress in decreasing mortality rates, increasing school enrolment, reducing gender inequality and improving living standards. However the ill-will of terrorist groups, foremost among which are Al-Qaida and ISIS, as well as those associated with the old Ba’ath regime who joined them,
obstructed our development process and spread death and destruction on our people and infrastructure. In persisting in their atrocities, those terrorists did not distinguish between an infant and an elderly person, or between a man and a woman. These evil forces terrorized civilians throughout Iraq and pursued a policy of ethnic cleansing, particularly in those areas that they claimed to support. Many people who once lived in the western and northern parts of Iraq are today refugees or displaced internally by these merciless gangsters. They are suffering with those who are still besieged in their villages and cities.
While we highly appreciate the support and solidarity extended to us by the United Nations and the international community in our just war against terrorism, we also recognize the tireless efforts made to restore stability to the regions that have been liberated by our armed forces, the popular mobilization forces and the tribal fighters. We also look forward to an effective contribution on the part of countries and international organizations to repairing our infrastructure and helping our reconstruction efforts.
Despite all this, Iraq is pursuing its democratic policies to promote respect for the Constitution, the peaceful transition of power, freedom of expression, and the elimination of racial ethnic and sectarian discrimination. Despite the challenges, we are aware of public demands and have worked to establish an organizational framework known as the Popular Mobilization Committee, which receives its instructions from the President of the Republic and the armed forces. Thus, the popular mobilization forces operate within the law as they fight terrorists and organized crime, particularly those who carry arms outside the framework of the State. The Iraqi Constitution bans carrying arms outside the legal framework of the State.
The Iraqi security forces protect demonstrators and give them full freedom to express their demands. While we may be in a state of war, many governorates have peaceful demonstrations and there are excellent relations between the demonstrators and the security forces. This is a unique experience indeed. I personally decided to entrust a working task force to follow up the demands of the demonstrators so that we can assist in implementing these demands.
The Iraqi Council of Representatives has enacted the Government’s programme of work. The Council represents the Iraqi people. We have adopted a
progressive vision of reform, sanctioned by the highest religious authority. We have listened to the demands that our people expressed over the past two months. We have therefore provided economic, administrative and financial reform packages. We have started working to invigorate the private sector in our country. We have provided financing for small and medium-sized projects, despite the difficulties we experienced after the huge drop in oil revenues, which account for 92 per cent of our income. The reform package was respectfully accepted by our people, who expressed their views in detail. The reform enjoys the support of the highest religious authorities and other stakeholders in society. We are determined to pursue our reform without disregarding our important role in directing the security and military effort to fight ISIS.
On behalf of the Iraqi people, I should like to salute the efforts of the brotherly and friendly countries in the international coalition in our war against terror. Providing more support is very important because it is the Iraqis who are fighting this war. We therefore thank the brotherly countries that have provided assistance, but would request further assistance to address the problems of refugees. Increased logistical and military support would bring us closer to our ultimate victory and promote peace and security in all countries of the world.
Iraq understood the importance of international efforts to draft a new development document to be adopted by the United Nations after the Millennium Declaration. Iraqi experts and national institutions participated in the international efforts made in our region to draft the new Declaration adopted in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (resolution 70/1). The importance of the Declaration is not limited to the pursuit of development for the human individual. It focuses on sustainability, which includes advocating a clean environment, the preservation of the rights of future generations, the promotion of peace and security, the elimination of poverty and discrimination, improving the health and educational standards of children and achieving wider freedoms, living in peace and bridging the gap between the poor and the rich. These are only some of the reforms that we are trying to attain in Iraq today by bridging these gaps and by redressing the injustice experienced by many sectors in our society and the world.
The important items included in the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals and their achievement
by 2030 require us all to work more tirelessly to achieve further cooperation among the peoples and countries of the world, instead of fighting each other. That would provide the United Nations with sufficient opportunity to work constructively in order to expedite the achievement of these objectives and share its expertise through programmes to be undertaken throughout the world. Iraq will earnestly and enthusiastically work to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals within the time frame assigned. We know that this development will affect not just Iraq alone but all countries, because no country can achieve sustainable development unless it is enjoyed by neighbouring countries as well.
Iraq expects all countries of the world to implement Security Council resolutions 2170 (2014), 2178 (2014) and 2199 (2015), which call for ending all support, financing and arming to terrorist groups. I also cite General Assembly resolution 69/281, adopted on 25 May 2015 to salvage the cultural heritage of Iraq, the implementation of which would allow Iraq to rebuild its country and achieve development.
The Government and people of Iraq understand the importance of communicating with the peoples and Governments of the world. We are eager to build peace and understanding in our region, and therefore we seek to open prospects for new relations with the countries of the region and to promote such relations without interfering in the internal affairs of others so as to guarantee a bright future for us all.
The political process in Iraq is democratic and governed by the peaceful turnover of power. Five Governments have succeeded each other in Iraq; our Government is the latest of these and therefore takes pride in our democratic processes. However, there are political blocs that have different points of view. We are proud of the fact that others have the right to express their opinions, which shows that there is a political sphere for the free expression of opinion.
Our problem in Iraq is not an internal one. Our problem is that a terrorist group has crossed our border from a neighbouring country. That organization is supported and armed by others, has occupied vast areas of Iraq and killed thousands of Iraqis and violated their rights. ISIS continues to recruit thousands of volunteers from throughout the world, but particularly from countries that have stressed their solidarity with Iraq. This terrorist organization receives assistance and weapons and continues to fight us, so our problem is
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really an external one, embodied in the support enjoyed by such terrorist organizations.
While the popular mobilization forces in Iraq are a legitimate organization that is supported by the Iraqi State, ISIS and associated entities are illegitimate terrorist groups that do not respect the State or the law and kill anyone who happens to think differently. Even those who happen to confess the same faith have been killed and displaced by ISIS. More than 3 million people have been displaced by ISIS from the cities they once called home. We are eager to build relations with our neighbouring countries. We respect their sovereignty and do not interfere in their internal affairs. We therefore call on them to promote the same quality of relationship. We want them not to interfere in our affairs and to respect Iraqi sovereignty and our right to uphold the sanctity of Iraqi lives.
In conclusion, I thank the United Nations and other international organizations for supporting Iraq’s efforts to achieve development, and salute the efforts of international organizations and all other world leaders and their representatives. It is truly my hope that next year we will meet in better circumstances. I urge all countries of the region to work together to achieve peace instead of killing and destruction. We believe that each and every leader of the region must assume responsibility to stop the bloodshed. The leaders of the region have a responsibility to end this killing, which is an evil visited on humanity at large.