We live in paradoxical times, as optimism and pessimism equally characterize our lives. We recently adopted landmark documents, including the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. At the end of the year, the international community will give the green light to two more instruments that inspire particular hope for changing the situation in  the  world  for  the  better,  namely,  the global compacts on refugees and migrants. The implementation of those unique initiatives is intended to transform human life on the globe in a drastic way so as to ensure that globalization is equitable and a win-win situation, to eradicate poverty and to preserve the planet for future generations.
The search for answers to global challenges and the quest for ways to reach common objectives clearly show that no country can do it alone. There can be no individual progress without collective progress. That is why, no matter how justified the criticism of the United Nations may be, we still need the Organization

as a unique platform for cooperation and as an effective multilateral instrument based on principles that ensure equal and respectful treatment of each and every country and its priorities and needs. In order to assist States in implementing the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda, we need effective United Nations country teams on  the ground that can effectively help countries achieve results in moving towards sustainable development. That is where we see the essence of the reform of the United Nations development system.
Pursuing a globalization that will meet everyone’s interests and managing that globalization for the common good are key objectives in the modern world. Yet we can see that there are evident difficulties in  that area. Globalization is being accompanied by new geopolitical and geoeconomic lines and splits, not only in regional contexts, but also on a global scale. A kind of civilizational trap is emerging in which the demand for integration goes hand in hand with fragmentation, protectionism and even confrontation. Located in the heart of Europe, Belarus, on the one hand, is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union; on the other hand, it has an interest in pursuing deep economic cooperation with the European Union. Squeezed between two geopolitical power centres, we fully feel the interplay of geopolitics and geoeconomics.
The conflict in Ukraine and the rising tensions in the region, the sanctions and counter-sanctions, all weigh heavily on our country, if not directly, then indirectly, leading to substantial economic losses. As a medium- sized country with one of the most open economies in the world, because we export up to 60 to 70 per cent
of our gross domestic product, Belarus is heavily dependent on external markets and international trade. That is one of the reasons why we consistently support building a fair, predictable and non-discriminatory trade and economic architecture, both in Europe and in other regions — one that is aligned with the interests of all countries. We believe that that architecture should be underpinned by the implementation of multi-tiered integration projects.
Owing to its geographical location, Belarus is particularly interested in closer cooperation between the Eurasian Economic Union and the European Union. Indeed, our western border remains the only economic border on the huge space stretching from Lisbon to Vladivostok, and, in future, perhaps even Shanghai. That is why Belarus has consistently advocated for what is known  as  the  “integration  of  integrations” as a principle of cooperation that seeks to find optimal ways to bring together economic growth and sustainable development.
Achieving the goals of the global 2030 Agenda, with its overarching promise to leave no one behind, requires a particular focus on and international support for middle-income countries. Indeed, it is that group of countries that is home to 5 billion of the world’s  total 7 billion people, and it wields the greatest potential  for economic growth and sustainable development. On the other hand, it is within that group of countries that three quarters of the world’s poor reside. They are the most vulnerable to such factors as global economic fluctuations, the consequences of regional conflicts, natural and human-caused catastrophes, climate upheavals and epidemics — all of which threaten social and economic stability and exacerbate inequality at both the regional and the global levels.
In that context, it is unjust that development progress continues to be gauged exclusively on the basis of per capita income. That criterion does not reflect the economic, social or  environmental features inherent in middle-income countries. For Belarus, it is evident that the multidimensional nature of the challenges faced by the countries in that category, including our country, requires the application of multidimensional development criteria that would also be instrumental in designing the Untied Nations system’s result- oriented strategies of cooperation with United Nations agencies. Belarus hopes that the  high-level  meeting to comprehensively discuss those issues, which the President of the General Assembly plans to convene

in the near future, will provide a serious impetus for the United Nations to design and implement specific measures in that area.
Another multidimensional issue is increasingly coming to the forefront. Humankind has entered a new era, as digital technologies are drastically transforming our lives. The importance of the digital economy for sustainable and comprehensive economic growth is something that our country  understands  very  well. In March, the presidential decree entitled “On the development of the digital economy”, whose ambition it is to turn Belarus into an information-technology country, entered into force. The Belarus High-Tech Park is developing rapidly and has shown record rates of growth, both in terms of the number of residents and in terms of its exports.
Digital technologies have been rightly compared to rocket fuel for national economies. They enable the rapid introduction of  innovations into various areas  of human activities, such as education, the consumer market and social cooperation. They stimulate business activity, generate revenue and create jobs.  At  the same time, digitization will  lead  to  drastic changes in the labour market, doing away,  in  the  process, with a whole array of professions that will no  longer be required in those new conditions, which will make many people employed in those sectors and industries extremely vulnerable.
Clearly, Governments in developed and many developing countries will soon confront a number of challenges, including how to adapt their own economies to the global digital transformation, how to effectively manage those processes at the national level and how to cope with unintended consequences generated by digitization. In that regard, Belarus proposes that the United Nations engage in international  cooperation on digitization and forward-looking technological planning with a view to facilitating sustainable development. The purpose of such cooperation would be to assist developing countries in finding their own niche within the global digital economy and to increase the benefits of digitization, as well as to ensure their equitable and fair distribution.
We therefore welcome the establishment by the Secretary-General of the High-level Panel on Digital Cooperation, and we hope that the Panel will pay particular attention to the capacity-building of States in that area. It is absolutely clear that the strengthening
of such capacities would be fruitless unless the effort is predicated on the values of sustainability and prosperity for all. It is precisely those values that form the fundamental basis for the tasks required, which can be accomplished only if all countries work together.
Unfortunately, those values are often fall  victim to confrontational thinking, which we are  seeing more frequently. At the United  Nations  summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in 2015 (see A/70/PV.4 et seq.), the President of Belarus contended that sustainable development would be unattainable in the absence of lasting peace and security. That point is completely relevant today. True sustainability cannot be achieved outside a framework of security, the strength of which is being tested day in and day out.
One shared threat that we face is terrorism. Combating it requires a comprehensive approach whereby all countries uphold the principles of international law and refrain from the use of double standards. We welcome the efforts of the United Nations leadership and stand willing to support them so as to mount a common front against terrorism. Our country’s contribution to the global processes of unification in that area will be to convene a high-level international conference on preventing terrorism in the digital age, which we will organize jointly with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and which will be held in the Belarus capital, Minsk, in a week’s time, on 9 and 10 October.
Turning to the overall issue of international security, it is evident that the world today is facing unprecedented challenges and threats. Confrontation in international relations increasingly evokes the notion of a new cold war. More and more frequently we hear threats of the likelihood of the use of weapons of mass destruction, even if only as a result of an inadvertent conflict or an accident. That points to a crisis in diplomacy and seriously undermines the authority of the United Nations as the key international organization tasked with preventing international conflicts.
The degree of divergence in relations and views among a number of great Powers has reached a boiling point. When it comes to some issues, the situation has become absurd. The principal organs of the United Nations — first and foremost the Security Council — are turning into arenas for confrontation, political grandstanding and self-assertion, with

confrontation prevailing over dialogue and geopolitical ambitions taking the upper hand over common sense.
Like many in this Hall, I do not, regrettably, have recipes for how to fix the situation. But we are deeply convinced that there is no choice other than to forge a global order on the basis of shared values. It is patently clear, however, that it is impossible to arrive at shared values by means of coerced democratization and violence, which subvert legitimate authority. The bitter geopolitical experience of the past three decades tells us that we should all take a common interest in such values. We believe that the idea of stability could serve as a unifying paradigm. Bringing about stability means stopping the unwinding spiral of geopolitical chaos in its tracks. What needs to be done to achieve that?
First, stability implies that States retain their role as the primary international actors and that State sovereignty is respected. Contemporary international law is predicated on those key principles, which are enshrined in basic United Nations  documents.  On  the one hand, those texts reflect the right of States to choose their own form of political governance, as well as their own path and priorities of development, while, on  the other hand, they refer to the non-interference  of countries in the internal affairs of other countries. Unfortunately, adherence to those principles is not universal in today’s world. The politics of sanctions, economic coercion and political isolation against so- called rogue regimes are frequently found in many countries’ foreign policy toolkits. We have all borne witness to the decades-long policies of economic, trade and financial blockade against the freedom-loving State of Cuba, which not only run counter to United Nations resolutions, but take a heavy toll on that country’s social and economic development.
Secondly, stability is also  about  strengthening the State, along with its role in domestic affairs. We are absolutely convinced that only strong States can provide security for their populations and ensure their well-being. We believe that people living in places where real, firm authority is absent could testify to that truth better than anyone else. Therefore, if we really have a stake in ensuring global stability, we should seek not to undermine the State, but rather to strengthen it.
Thirdly and finally, stability very much relates to relations among the great Powers, which today must, once again, learn to listen to one another and hear each other’s arguments, in addition to being willing to
embrace reasonable compromises. In the past, it was the great Powers that determined the destiny of the planet. Today, they no longer enjoy such an exclusive prerogative. Still, unity among the great Powers on shared values and their leadership in advancing them are a sine qua non for progress in many areas.
In that spirit, the President of Belarus, Alyaksandr Lukashenko, advanced an initiative to begin a comprehensive dialogue  on  international  security last year. Its objective is to overcome the existing disagreements that plague inter-State relations in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian space. We are convinced that only dialogue can help resolve the deep crisis of trust in international relations and lead to mechanisms conducive to peace, international security and sustainable development.
Can one day or one meeting change history? The great leader of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, called that moment a tryst with destiny. I think that our common task is to increase the number of such moments. We must pool our efforts to find common solutions that are acceptable to everyone.


At the outset, I would like to extend our congratulations to you, Madam President, and your friendly nation on your election to preside over the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I assure you, Madam, of the delegation of the Sultanate of Oman’s cooperation as you guide the Assembly to success in this session.
We also express our appreciation to the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, His Excellency Miroslav Lajčák, for the way in which he steered the Assembly’s work and for the decisions that were taken under his leadership. We also take  this opportunity to fully commend Secretary-General António Guterres for his efforts to strengthen the role of the Organization and reform its mechanisms in order to better achieve the purposes and principles set forth in the Charter of the United Nations.
The work of the United Nations must focus on addressing challenges, settling international disputes and conflicts, and achieving peace. Given that my country believes that dialogue and negotiation are the best means to resolve differences, we emphasize that the Sultanate of Oman will spare no effort in supporting initiatives that lead to peace, security and stability in the Middle East and throughout the world. We consider peace to be the main building block for stability and development. Accordingly, we hope that Member States will collaborate in ways that are consistent with the principles of good-neighbourliness, respect for national sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States.
The Palestinian question is the central issue  in  the Middle East. The international community’s cooperation in creating  an  environment  conducive  to the parties concerned ending the conflict is an urgent strategic necessity. We believe that, despite the difficulties in the current situation and the impasse in the dialogue, an environment favourable to fruitful discussions between the Palestinian and Israeli parties that might lead to a comprehensive settlement based on the two-State solution would be more welcome than ever, especially since the absence of a Palestinian State will only perpetuate violence and terrorism.
The Sultanate of Oman is willing to make every effort to restore a climate of optimism so that a comprehensive agreement can be reached and a future of peaceful coexistence between the Palestinians and the Israelis built. The creation of a peaceful environment

between the Palestinian and Israeli parties is essential to establishing peace  in  the  Middle  East  region  as a whole.
We also call on the countries of the world, particularly the United States of America — which plays an essential role in achieving peace and stability in the world — to consider all available opportunities to support peace efforts and to facilitate the work of international organizations. We must not allow peace to be sacrificed.
The suffering of the Republic of Yemen can be seen in the tragic economic and humanitarian situation in the country, which stems from the collapse of infrastructure in the health, education and economy sectors and the loss of other basic services that affect the daily lives  of citizens in Yemen, as well as the spread of disease, inadequate medical treatment and a lack of medicines. That tragic situation demands that we all redouble our efforts to help Yemen.
The international community must implement a project that would allow the Yemeni people in various provinces to gain access to humanitarian aid, while facilitating the use of airports and seaports to that  end. Indeed, the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen requires that such measures, at a minimum, be taken. Accordingly, my country welcomes the efforts of the United Nations and the Arab coalition countries to establish a humanitarian medical airlift for patients suffering from critical conditions so that they can receive proper medical treatment. Those scheduled flights are being supervised by the United Nations in collaboration with the Yemeni parties.
My country also underscores its support for the efforts of Special Envoy Martin  Griffiths.  We  call for further efforts to be made to support his mission, in particular to enable the holding of meetings and consultations with all Yemeni parties and the provision of transportation of the parties so that they can participate in such meetings. We believe that a political solution should be based on the reality on the ground in Yemen and that all Yemeni parties and political entities in the country and abroad should be given a chance to participate in planning a bright future for their country.
As we are deeply affected by the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people, we would like to emphasize that the Sultanate of Oman will continue  to provide facilities and humanitarian assistance  to the  brotherly  Yemeni  people,  and  that the  land, sea
and air outlets between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Yemen, which are the only available means for Yemenis to interact with the outside world, will remain open, based on the principles of brotherhood and good-neighbourliness and the deep historical and social ties linking our peoples.
We commend the Special Envoy of the Secretary- General for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, for  his efforts to help the Syrian parties develop a constitutional foundation for the country and build on the positive outcomes of the talks in Geneva, Astana and  Sochi  so as to stop the war, achieve national reconciliation and end the conflict. We hope that the joint efforts and cooperation that we are now seeing in Syria and other places of conflict will continue.
My country welcomes the positive developments in the Horn of Africa and the understandings reached by States in the region. They should result in restoring confidence and ending disputes. We welcome the efforts of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the key role played by his country in helping to achieve security and stability in the Horn of Africa region.
In conclusion, my country renews its call on all countries of the world to adhere to the principles of  the Charter of the United Nations and international law and resolve their differences by peaceful means, that is, without resorting to war, in the light of war’s tragic consequences, so as to ensure that the peoples of the world can enjoy security, stability, development and prosperity.


I am very honoured to deliver this statement during the general debate of the General Assembly at the beginning of its seventy-third session, whose theme has been chosen as “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”.
I should like to congratulate Ms. Espinosa Garcés on her election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. I believe that this session will be a great success under her leadership. I would also like to express my appreciation for the very important initiatives that Secretary-General Guterres has championed since taking office.
May I also, on behalf of the Government and people of Viet Nam, express my sincere gratitude to the General Assembly for the minute of silence observed in memory of the late President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, who recently passed.
Humankind has still not forgotten the scourge of the two World Wars of the twentieth century. However, since the birth of the United Nations in 1945, world wars have become a thing of the past. The foundations of peace on our planet have continued to be reinforced thanks to the efforts of the United Nations, the largest
multilateral organization where the  largest  number  of countries meet. Over the past 70 years, the United Nations has played an enormous role through its tireless efforts to preserve peace, prevent conflicts and wars and realize the purposes and principles of the Organization as codified in the Charter of the United Nations.
We have seen significant achievements in recent years in global cooperation and development, ranging from the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to reforms of the United Nations, the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals in 2015 and the adoption and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The United Nations has also been vital in efforts to address global issues, including reducing poverty, protecting women and children, promoting human rights, improving health care, culture and education, preserving the environment and responding to climate change. Today the  United  Nations  has truly become a symbol of global solidarity, the embodiment of humankind and progress and the place where our aspirations for a world of peace, prosperity and equality are realized.
Viet Nam has been a companion to the United Nations and contributed to the noble goals pursued by the Organization over the past 70 years. We are a staunch supporter of the central role of the United Nations in the multilateral international system and have actively joined in efforts to realize its fundamental cooperation pillars — the maintenance of global peace and security, development cooperation and the protection and promotion of human rights.
Once a poor, underdeveloped country with a food deficit, over the past 20 years Viet Nam has recorded average annual gross domestic product growth of more than 6 per cent to become one of the world’s largest food exporters. Since 2010, we have been a middle-income developing country, and the living standards of our nearly 100 million citizens have improved dramatically. By actively engaging in international  integration,  Viet Nam enjoys free trading relations with nearly 60 major countries and partners in the world through its membership of 16 free trade agreements.
Most recently, we successfully hosted the Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation throughout 2017, the 132nd  Assembly  of  the  Inter-Parliamentary  Union in 2015, the 2018 World Economic Forum on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

and the sixth Greater Mekong Subregion Cooperation Summit in 2018. We are also working towards the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, which aims to strengthen ASEAN centrality in the evolving regional architecture. Viet Nam has also taken the initiative and taken part in many important United Nations mechanisms, contributing responsibly in many different areas.
Viet Nam is also making greater efforts to promote justice and sustainable development, foster equality and support for disadvantaged groups, protect the environment and ensure rights for all citizens, while upholding a spirit  of  dialogue  and  cooperation  in the area of human rights. We have always attached importance to preserving cultural and natural heritage and national identity. We are one of the few countries to have accomplished many of the Millennium Development Goals ahead of schedule, particularly for poverty reduction.
We have made it our consistent policy to uphold the Charter of the United Nations and the fundamental principles of international law with regard to the settlement of international disputes through peaceful means. That includes in the South China Sea, where there are issues that should be addressed on the basis of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the need to safeguard maritime security and safety and the freedom of navigation and overflight.
Cooperation and assistance from the international community, including the United Nations, has been extremely valuable for Viet Nam in its efforts to achieve sustainable development, international integration and poverty reduction. On this occasion, I would like, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government and people, to express my sincere gratitude to the United Nations and all countries and international organizations that have lent their active and effective assistance to Viet Nam.
Our planet is experiencing rapid change, propelled by the scientific and technological breakthroughs of the fourth industrial revolution as well as the irreversible trend of globalization. That opens up a range of new opportunities to guide humankind into a new era of economic growth unprecedented in the history of our civilization, further bolstering the main global currents of peace, cooperation and development.
Yet the world is also facing immense new challenges. World peace has yet to be guaranteed, although the situation on the Korean peninsula has
seen new progress. In the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere, conflict, or the threat of conflict, is ongoing, and immigration remains a pressing matter for many countries. Power politics, the use or threat of force and the rise of unilateral measures continue to pose threats to international peace and stability. Injustice and inequality remain in many parts of the world. Risks and instabilities are ever-present in global development. The effects of climate change and environmental pollution are widespread. Poverty is still a major  challenge, with nearly 750 million people still living in extreme poverty, among whom are many children suffering from hunger and deprivation without access to health care or proper education.
No single nation, regardless of its might or wealth, can single-handedly address those enormous global challenges. They require the common efforts and collaboration of all nations. I would like to suggest that a concept of dual responsibility should be universally upheld. Each nation should take additional responsibility for addressing global issues, and each individual should take additional responsibility as a global citizen.
Against that backdrop, I share Secretary-General Guterres’s view that the role of the  United  Nations has become all the  more  important in  the  creation of new foundations for more effectively addressing global challenges. We must continue highlighting the role of the United Nations and join hands for a  world of peace, equality and sustainable development. In that process, it is my hope that the major Powers and developed countries will take meaningful action to play an exemplary role in maintaining peace and fostering development. The General Assembly should be the heart of cooperation among countries and peoples for peace, equality and sustainable development.
In that connection, we support lifting the unilateral embargo on Cuba, so that nation can exercise its freedom to participate equitably and fairly in economic and trading relations in accordance with international law.
Peace, freedom and prosperity have always been the desire and aspiration of all peoples. In the age of the fourth industrial revolution, humankind’s progress is measured not only by feats of technological advancement but first and foremost by peace and prosperity. Even the smallest opportunity for peace must be cherished and nurtured. From its long struggle for freedom and independence, Viet Nam has a profound understanding of the value of peace, equality, self-determination, the

right to the pursuit of happiness and the democratic values extolled by the Charter of the United Nations. The voices of small nations and the aspirations of the disadvantaged must be respected, heard and shared. That is the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive development that leaves no one behind. That is the foundation for social stability, which is needed to ensure the rights of every person and harness their creativity.
Today it  is  vital that the United Nations engage in strong and comprehensive reforms, improving its effectiveness, democracy and transparency, so as to better fulfil its indispensable role in leading efforts to address global challenges. As quoted by the Secretary- General in his opening remarks (see A/73/PV.6), the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan once said:
“[W]e share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that, my friends, is why we have the United Nations.” (see SG/SM/7262)
That is also the reason why, immediately after the establishment of the Vietnamese State on 2 September 1945, the beloved late President of the Vietnamese people, Ho Chi Minh, submitted a request for membership of the United Nations in January 1946.
I ask now  what we  want the United Nations to be. In answering that question, we must applaud the reform proposals that Secretary-General Guterres  has initiated, particularly on repositioning the United Nations development system. I propose that the United Nations strengthen cooperation with the various regions of the world, particularly in terms of United Nations- ASEAN high-level cooperation mechanisms, which further highlight the role of the United Nations within ASEAN and vice versa.
Viet Nam takes pride in being an active member of the United Nations. Ours is a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, and multilateralism and diversification in our foreign relations, as well as active and engaged international integration. With that policy, we hope to make greater contributions to the creation of multilateral mechanisms and the fulfilment of the common responsibilities of the international community. For instance, Viet Nam has dispatched a level-2 field hospital to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
More recently, Viet Nam has submitted its candidacy for non-permanent membership of the Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. I would like
to express my heartfelt gratitude to the 53 countries of the Asia-Pacific States Group for endorsing Viet Nam as the sole candidate of the Group, and to many others for their extensive support for our candidature so far. In this most prestigious forum, I would like, on behalf of the Vietnamese Government and people, to call for, and very much hope to receive, the support of all Member States. Viet Nam is committed to being an active and responsible member of the international community and the United Nations.
We have  every  reason  to  believe  that  given  our global partnership, solidarity and high level of commitment, the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will succeed, showing that we can live up to the aspirations of all humankind for a world of peace, equality and sustainable development. In that spirit, may the seventy-third session of the General Assembly be a resounding success.


The General Assembly is meeting this week as we mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of the late Nelson Mandela of South Africa and as we mourn the recent death of Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. They were two great leaders from Africa,whose personal commitment to the values and principles of multilateralism was unwavering — something that we should reflect upon and, I hope, draw inspiration from, particularly at a time of global instability and of open challenges to the very approach to the global decision-making process that has been the foundation of this institution. Ireland was honoured to have been asked to co-facilitate the consultative process with Member States to produce the political declaration adopted at the Mandela Peace Summit (resolution 73/1) on Monday. Nelson Mandela and Kofi Annan were revered and loved in my country. In order to do justice to their legacy, we must renew our efforts to actively work for a culture of peace, tolerance and respect for human dignity globally. Is that not fundamentally what the United Nations should be about today? Can we not challenge ourselves  to  use the Peace Summit and this week at the General Assembly to strive, with the courage and humility that Mandela and Annan showed, for the type of world that they envisioned and fought for? In truth, we must do much better than we are currently doing to live up to the aspirations that they represented.
Geographically, Ireland is a small island on the western edge of Europe, but in Ireland we see ourselves as an island at the centre of the world, with a global diaspora more than 10 times the size of our population at home. We have learned that, in an interdependent world, the challenges of our time do not respect geographic boundaries. Finding solutions is surely now a shared responsibility and — whether a small Polynesian island or a super-Power — we all breathe the same air. That sense of shared responsibility guides Ireland’s view of the world and the part that we are trying to play in it. Almost a century ago, Ireland became an independent State, thereby escaping a history of colonialism. Ours is hardly a unique story, but it is one that I hope allows us in Ireland to empathize with so many of the countries represented in this Hall. Like the United Nations itself, we were born out of conflict. It has shaped how we view the world and our current responsibilities as global citizens. Our membership in the United Nations has played, and continues to play, a major part in our development. We not only support a fair, rules-based order in international affairs, but we exist, survive and
prosper because of it. We see no viable alternative to that approach.
In peacekeeping, disarmament, sustainable development, climate-change issues, nutrition, human rights and humanitarian assistance, we  have  striven to match our words with actions, along with increased funding and support for multilateral  structures. While the system has its flaws and always requires improvement and modernization, Ireland is convinced that there is no other  way  to  meaningfully address the common opportunities and threats that  face  us all. For Ireland — and, I suggest, for many smaller Member States as well — multilateralism strengthens our independence, self-confidence and security, rather than diminishes it. If one believes, like Ireland, in multilateralism, now is the time to fight for it across the United Nations system, including, if necessary, standing in opposition to powerful countries  that  have traditionally played great  leadership  roles within this institution. We certainly cannot — and I will never — defend a logic that views multinational engagement as an abdication of national leadership or as a loss of influence on the international stage. We urgently need global leadership that galvanizes global support through strength of argument, as opposed to economic or military strength, and that leads to finding solutions to our collective problems so as to raise living standards for everybody, in particular for those furthest behind. We must start believing in a world where solidarity is just as, if not more, important as sovereignty — a world where we live in each other’s shelter and not shadow.
We need — and I believe that we must demand during weeks like this one — positive outward- looking leadership by the great Powers of the United Nations, particularly Powers that traditionally have been indispensable, if imperfect, forces for good across the world. Without that, in truth, I fear for the future of global stability, and I fear for the future of the United Nations in the work that it must do — work that can never be replicated or replaced by transactional bilateral engagement where the powerful dominate decision-making, and decisions are no longer based on the strength of argument, compassion or generosity, but are instead based on States being forced to choose sides, fearful, perhaps, of being offside with the strong and powerful, or, in some cases, singled out for special treatment if they do not provide their support. Ireland does not wish to see any diminution in the role played

by the United Nations leading actors and funders. At the same time, we will always demand a place on the stage for everyone and an atmosphere that encourages free speech and new, if sometimes controversial, thinking. The United Nations foundations will crumble without the inclusivity and generosity of thinking embedded through decades of experience. Sometimes it is the smallest States that have the answers to the biggest problems.
Today we cannot be complacent about the institutional reforms needed to maximize the United Nations legitimacy and relevance in a rapidly changing world. Ireland salutes the efforts of the Secretary- General and welcomes the steps taken by the General Assembly on reform,  but  the implementation  of those reforms will be our real test of success. Ireland particularly wants to see the successful reform of the United Nations development system aimed at better supporting the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. That is why my Government earlier this month pledged more than $1 million in support of the reform of the United Nations development system as a complement to the strong financial support that Ireland has an obligation to continue to provide to United Nations funds, programmes and agencies.
However, reforms at the United Nations must go beyond the managerial and structural level. The United Nations political bodies must also catch up to where the rest of the world is right now. That is particularly the case regarding the Security Council. Ireland is clear on the need to increase the size of the Council. Many areas of the world are either insufficiently represented in the Council or, in some cases, not represented at all. The historically unjust underrepresentation of Africa in particular needs to be addressed so that there can be an equitable African voice in Council decisions affecting their own continent, where much of the United Nations focus will be needed in the decades ahead. We know that. We also want to see the consideration of a designated role for small island developing States. The growing impact of climate change, which many speakers before me have mentioned, on international peace and security concerns adds weight to that call.
It is not only the composition of the Security Council, however, that needs to come under scrutiny. The use or threat of use of the veto remains a serious obstacle to the work of the Council, but also to that of the United Nations as a whole. Far too often the use of the veto has resulted in the shocking abandonment of
some of the most vulnerable people on our planet. The failure of the Security Council to take action to prevent mass-atrocity crimes betrays victims and undermines the United Nations credibility. History will not judge us kindly on that issue. I strongly believe that the political reform of the Council would inevitably lead to a greater sense of participation, responsibility and ownership among the United Nations membership, as a whole. That would surely only be positive for the functioning of the United Nations more broadly. Many say that people like me and others are wasting our time calling for the reform of the Security Council and that the great Powers will never allow it. That may be so, but if the power of evidence and argument is to mean anything in the Council Chamber, Ireland will keep trying to build a coalition for change.
While recognizing the need for new structures, we also need to make the best use of existing structures and, of course, always look to improve them. International criminal justice, where there has been an irreversible and, I hope, significant shift towards accountability, is one such example. It is particularly pertinent to recall that fact on the twentieth anniversary of the adoption of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Justice and accountability always provide a better alternative to revenge, impunity or amnesty. We have seen important developments in the area of gender- based and sexual violence by enabling the prosecution of sexual violence as a war crime, a crime against humanity and genocide. I am glad to say  that  we  have witnessed universal justice strengthened beyond power politics and geopolitical interests. I am pleased to report that earlier this month, Ireland ratified the Amendments to the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court on the crime of aggression, which were agreed in Kampala. Yesterday I lodged our instrument of ratification with the Secretary-General.
Ireland welcomes the level of ambition at the heart of the Secretary-General’s new disarmament agenda. We hope that it will serve as a turning point in the current challenges facing the disarmament and arms- control processes.
Ireland is proud of the historic role that it played in the development of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in the past century. The NPT demonstrates what States can achieve together in the spirit of peace and cooperation. However, we also have a responsibility to remain ambitious in the pursuit

of the total elimination of nuclear weapons. I hope that our efforts to promote the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will continue to reflect that.
Ireland, like many in this Hall, is deeply concerned by the persistent use of explosive weapons in populated areas in armed conflicts around the globe. Civilian populations continue to bear the brunt of armed conflicts. We must redouble our efforts to fulfil the Secretary-General’s call to address that challenge in   a more comprehensive way than we have to date. We continue to call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abide by its obligations under the relevant Security Council resolutions and its international commitments and to abandon all nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic-missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. We welcome the progress towards that end.
Ireland’s multilateralism runs deep through our commitment to United Nations peacekeeping. Our contribution to United Nations peacekeeping operations enjoys a special place in the hearts of the Irish people. This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of Ireland’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Tens of thousands of Irish women  and  men  have worn blue helmets or blue berets in United Nations peacekeeping operations over six decades, particularly on missions in Africa and the Middle East. Our Prime Minister stated here at United Nations Headquarters  in July that we are as proud of the blue helmet as we are of the harp or the shamrock — symbols of Ireland. Today there are more than 500 Irish defence force personnel — men and, increasingly, women, I am glad to say — deployed across the Middle East and Africa in six United Nations missions.
The humanitarian and development work of the United Nations is central to Ireland’s commitment to the Organization. However, we  know  that  we  have an obligation to do more. We have reaffirmed our commitment to achieving the United  Nations  target of providing 0.7 per cent of  gross  national  income for official development assistance by 2030 — the same year that the world has pledged to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals. But in real terms what that means is that Ireland would have to increase its  contribution  to  development  from approximately
€750 million a year to more than €2.5 billion a year over the next 10 to 12 years. We are ambitious for Ireland’s international  development  cooperation,  but  we  also
need to be authentic to our own experiences as we seek to maximize our contribution.
My country has known hunger and famine. We have known poverty. But we have also experienced transformation — a transformation based on education, innovation and a vibrant civic society. Of course, our values are not Ireland’s alone. They are at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the future that most people in this Hall seek. We know that, in order to create a peaceful, fair and just world, we must respect the human rights of everyone. Economic progress cannot be delivered at the cost of equality for all and of protecting the most vulnerable in our societies. We must also go beyond rhetoric in our efforts to empower women and girls. Gender equality cannot be seen as a gift to be granted but rather as a fundamental driver that can underpin real improvements in the lives of so many people.
The need for collective action to address climate change has been a common theme this week and is more evident by the month. As an island State, we learned centuries ago that the waters surrounding our island cannot deter forces beyond our control. Isolation certainly does not mean safety. Since I  spoke  here last year (see A/72/PV.20), Ireland  has  experienced its first hurricane, generated in the  eastern Atlantic, its most severe winter cold snap  and, this summer,  the most sustained drought in living memory. The denial of climate change needs to end, and collective action on climate adaptation, as well as mitigation, needs to intensify. Today many more island nations face challenges not of their own making as a result of climate change, pollution and rising sea levels. We must work together to overcome those challenges as nations united in our determination to protect ourselves and the way in which we live.
More broadly, the scale of the  humanitarian crises facing  the international  community  cannot  be overstated. More than 134 million people around the world are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection, with conflict being the single greatest driver of that need. As a country committed to the humanitarian principles, we will continue to contribute to international efforts to ease the plight of civilians suffering the impact of conflicts in places such as South Sudan, the Central African Republic, Syria, Yemen, Palestine and, unfortunately, many other parts of the world.

Today there are over 68 million people worldwide who have been forcibly displaced from their homes, with more than 25  million cross-border refugees. I  am very conscious that a huge majority of displaced people are being sheltered in countries that are already experiencing high levels of vulnerability and poverty and that their generosity places a huge strain on already very limited resources. Ireland will continue to support refugees and vulnerable host communities. However,  I want to particularly acknowledge the generosity of many States and the extraordinary burden that they bear today — States such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Pakistan, Turkey, Uganda and many more. Those countries host enormous numbers of people displaced by conflicts in neighbouring regions. We need to do more to help them.
Bangladesh is now host to the world’s largest refugee camp, sheltering over 1 million refugees. In the year since I last addressed the General Assembly that camp has swelled  with  hundreds  of  thousands of Rohingya refugees fleeing appalling violence in their neighbouring home state. The Rohingya must be assured of a safe, voluntary, dignified and sustainable return, and the international community must insist on an end to impunity for the appalling acts of violence that have come to light, as well as ensure accountability for the crimes that have been committed.
Because of Ireland’s experience of prolonged, intractable conflict, but one that ended in a successful peace settlement, the Israel-Palestine  conflict  and the lack of progress on a  peace agreement have  been a big foreign policy priority for me and for the Irish Government for many years. Ireland’s own experience shows that even decades-long conflicts do have a turning point. Sometimes that turning point comes unexpectedly, and sometimes it happens quickly.
Peace is a process; it is not a moment. To bear fruit, that process requires untiring work and commitment. We all surely realize by now that forced outcomes with winners and losers can never be a basis for lasting peace. From all my visits to the Middle East, I know that the current situation serves the interests of neither people, but I am also conscious that the burden of being under occupation is the heavier one.
Settlement construction exacerbates that fact and is causing ever-greater damage to the prospects for peace. Ireland, like many, is very conscious of the threat to the small Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar and other
strategically located West Bank villages. Let me say this very clearly: what happens there will tell us much about whether we can count on a real commitment on the part of those involved to negotiating a two-State solution.
The situation in Gaza is also simply untenable, and the 1.9 million people living there desperately need the decade-long blockade to end so that they can start to rebuild normal lives and so that teenagers will reject the twisted promises of radicals and look to the future with some hope. They also need for the countries that fund terrorist activities, chaos and mismanagement in Gaza to halt their unwelcome interference without any further delay.
When I visited Gaza I was struck by how much people there rely on the efforts of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) — both to meet basic needs such as education and health care, but also to know that they are not forgotten. They are not forgotten by countries around the world. I am proud that Ireland is such a long- standing supporter of UNRWA, not  just in Gaza but  in the West Bank and across the region in Jordan and Lebanon too. Ireland will continue that assistance and has increased its contribution to €7 million for this year. I hope that before the end of the year we will have added even more to that, recognizing the financial pressures.
I greatly regret the recent cuts to UNRWA funding announced by the United States, and I plead with those in power in that country to reconsider the consequences of their decisions in that regard. Reform of UNRWA may be needed, but surely it should happen in the context of a peace deal and a functioning Palestinian State in the future. Shutting off funding now is simply adding to the turmoil of current pressures and hardship, where UNRWA cuts are interpreted — certainly locally, on the ground — as collective punishment targeting women and children as well as men.
Is it so hard to understand that increasing the misery of Palestinians only empowers the radicals, who want to poison the minds of hopeless, angry, young Palestinians and destabilize the moderate political leadership who are committed to a lasting peace? A people who have been downtrodden for decades will not be forced or pressurized into negotiating through enforced hardship or humiliation — the human soul simply does not work that way. How many examples of that do we need in order to learn that lesson? Without hope or dignity, minds close to the compromises that

we all know are necessary for a final settlement and for peace.
I believe there is a way forward in the Middle East with American leadership, but also with the support and involvement of other countries that can help to broker a peace deal between an Israel that justifiably demands security in any future deal and a Palestinian people who dream of their own country and State. I know that Ireland is a small player in all of  that, but we will continue to advocate honestly for progress and justice as a friend of both Israel and Palestine.
Member States know that Ireland is a proud and ambitious candidate for a seat on the Security Council at the elections that will be held in June 2020. We have been making our case better known with States over the past months. My apologies if we have been overdoing it. We Irish are by nature bridge-builders and talkers, but we listen too — to all sides — and work to build collective solutions to our global challenges. We are committed to hearing and heeding the voices of all States to forge consensus and common purpose. We think independently. Our path is very much our own, and we bring no partisan agenda to the table. We are here to serve the wider good and to support the United Nations. We will always fight for a multilateral system that works for all, particularly the small and the weak. We will be courageous when the United Nations and all of its Members need courage and leadership from the Security Council. Empathy, partnership  and independence will guide us.
Ireland is  a  small  country  with  a  broad  mind, a listening ear and a strong independent voice that promotes the values that I hope we all share and that can take this institution forward with confidence and fairness in the future.


Let me join other leaders in paying special tribute to the late Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations. The legacy left by that great son of Africa will forever remain carved in the history of the United Nations.
I warmly congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election as the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, and I want to assure her of our full support in her work. I also thank Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his dedicated and able leadership, relentless commitment to multilateralism and continued engagement with Member States during his presidency.
The year 2018 is a  special year for  Mauritius, as it marks the fiftieth anniversary of our independence. We also celebrate, with immense pride and honour, 50 years of membership in this body. The theme for this session, “Making the United Nations relevant to all

people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, is both apt and timely.
We are living in troubled times that are marked by uncertainty and complex threats to the peace, stability and sustainability of our planet. Increased international tensions, intractable conflicts, expanding pockets of poverty throughout the world, growing inequalities, the deterioration of the oceans, climate change, violent extremism and terrorism, nationalism, cyberthreats, escalating militarization and forced migration are only some of the perils that endanger global peace  and security. These challenges cannot be overcome without greater cooperation, global leadership and shared responsibilities.
We wholeheartedly welcome the reform process  to make the United  Nations  fit  for  purpose,  closer to and more consonant with the people it serves and better equipped to bring about the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, so that no one, irrespective of race or gender, is left behind. My Government remains fully committed to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In that regard, Mauritius will present its  voluntary national review  at the 2019 high-level political forum on sustainable development next July.
The SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action (SAMOA) Pathway remains a valid road map for  us  to measure how much progress has been achieved in addressing the challenges and difficulties faced by small island developing States (SIDS), including climate change. We welcome the holding of the mid-term review of the SAMOA Pathway next September, and we call on all stakeholders to participate at the highest level, in order to assist SIDS in strengthening their resilience.
The stark effects of climate change are being felt all around the world. As we have seen in California, the Carolinas, the Philippines, China, Europe and elsewhere, the frequency of extreme weather events demonstrates that climate change can affect every country  on  every continent. Hurricanes, floods, droughts and wildfires are becoming deadlier, and weather patterns more severe. These disasters are sounding the alarm. Without a renewed global commitment to undertaking ambitious efforts aimed at combating climate change and adapting to its effects, we will fail to meet the
targets of the Paris Agreement and endanger our planet, as well as our own survival.
We cannot dissociate the climate from our oceans. Our planet’s future also depends on our ability to further protect the oceans and increase their ability to act as a buffer against climate change. We need global leadership and enhanced multilateral cooperation to safeguard the ocean and its role as the natural weather regulator of our planet.
As a large ocean State that respects the rule of law and international law, Mauritius has taken the lead in the western Indian Ocean region in combating piracy and other transnational organized crimes and in keeping its territory and surrounding areas safe. As Chair of the Indian Ocean Commission, Mauritius co-hosted with the Commission a ministerial conference on maritime security in April to coordinate actions to fight transnational organized crimes, such as drug trafficking, piracy and human trafficking. In doing so, we have consolidated our engagement with the United Nations system, in particular, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the Department of Political Affairs, with which we recently signed a memorandum of understanding to assist the Indian Ocean region in fighting these security threats and challenges.
We are equally concerned about the situation in the Middle East, where the scourge of violence and war continues to claim innocent lives. Peace in that region will remain elusive as long as the international community does not live up to its legal and moral responsibilities to uphold international law. Mauritius therefore reiterates its call for renewed and genuine international efforts in favour of negotiations towards the speedy realization of a  two-State solution,  with an independent and viable Palestine existing side by side and at peace with the State of Israel. While we wait for this to happen, it is extremely important that the suffering of the people, especially women and children, is alleviated through renewed and increased international support.
Despite all the current efforts, terrorism remains  a painful reality, claiming numerous lives daily and threatening world peace and development. It is urgent that we build consensus on global counter-terrorism efforts and reinforce multilateral cooperation in fighting this scourge. Indeed, we must pay  attention to why individuals are attracted to violent extremist groups. We believe firmly that the creation of open,

equitable, inclusive and pluralist societies, based on the full respect of human rights and with education and economic opportunities for all, represents the most effective way to ending violent extremism.
In that same vein, we need to reinforce global non-proliferation regimes. The continued existence of nuclear arsenals and the threat of a nuclear disaster represents a major impediment to the maintenance of peace and security. We must also remain vigilant with regard to the cyberthreats that endanger our national security. As highlighted in the new disarmament agenda that the Secretary-General presented in May, we must create secure physical and cyberzones in space, on land and on the seas, and we need to do whatever is necessary to make our planet a safe place for all.
Drug trafficking and unregulated drug consumption have the potential to destroy the future of our young people. We are all too well aware of how drugs undermine sustainable human  development  and the stability  of  countries  and  whole  regions.  My Government remains determined to fight drug trafficking. In that regard, our commission of inquiry on drug trafficking, set up to inquire on all aspects of drug trafficking in Mauritius, has recently submitted its findings. I have set up a ministerial committee to look into its recommendations, which include strengthening the existing institutional framework and reviewing the relevant legislation. To address the evolving challenges of drugs, my country has committed to the Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem. More than ever, we need closer cooperation to address this scourge.
We must be careful not to undermine the multilateral system, as it has served the community of nations well. The United Nations was created to bring States together. It also established conditions under which justice and respect for the law can be maintained and strengthened.
Conscious of the responsibility of belonging to the Assembly, my country made a pledge at its admission in 1968 to uphold the great ideals that are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. We gave the assurance that we would bring our contribution, however modest it might be, to shaping the destiny of a better world.
As a responsible member of this community of nations, Mauritius has remained true to that pledge. Today I reaffirm my country’s continued commitment to the ideals and values of the Organization, its respect for international law and faith in international partnership
so as to build a safer and more prosperous world. It is with this commitment that Mauritius subscribes to the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, and we look forward  to  its  adoption  in  Marrakech in December.
In the same spirit of upholding the Charter of the United Nations, and based on their commitment to the international rule of law, in June 2017 member States of the Group of African States introduced draft resolution A/71/L.73, requesting an advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965.  At  the  heart of  this request for  an advisory opinion is the issue of decolonization, a matter of international public order under the Charter and a central element of the work of the United Nations and General Assembly. To date, the decolonization of Mauritius remains incomplete, thanks to the unlawful excision of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius prior to its accession to independence.
The hearings at the Court have been completed, and the judges will now deliberate on a matter that has raised important issues relating to decolonization and human rights, particularly the right to self-determination of the people of Mauritius and the plight of Mauritians of Chagossian origin who were forcibly removed from the Chagos Archipelago. The advisory opinion will also further clarify and strengthen the rule of law at the international level at a time when such strengthening is greatly needed. I  want  to  take  this  opportunity  to express my Government’s appreciation to all the member States of the African Union that have actively participated in the written and oral proceedings of the International Court of Justice relating to this matter.
The United Nations is and will always be at the centre of all action for sustainable development, peace and security. While we applaud the three-pronged reform of the United Nations led by the Secretary- General,  considerable  resources  will   be   required to match this ambition. We therefore appeal to all stakeholders to be generous in supporting the reform by providing adequate resources on a predictable basis. We also appeal for a special consideration of Africa’s needs and priorities in the restructuring of the peace and security architecture.
We commend the efforts of the Secretary-General aimed at enhancing the framework of cooperation between the United Nations and the African Union,

which is so vital to sustained peace and development on the continent. Africa’s growth is showing promising signs of rebounding, and several countries are already undergoing positive transitions. Elections in Africa during the last several years demonstrate that African countries have strengthened their democracies, while ensuring a peaceful transition of power. We welcomed the signing of a historical peace agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea ending two decades of tension that followed years of open conflict, causing the loss of thousands of lives. The improved political climate, reconciliation efforts and inclusive participation rights herald a new age of governance that deserves to be supported by the international community.
One aspect of United Nations reform where we find progress wanting is in the collective aspiration for a strengthened and more legitimate Security Council that reflects today’s reality. We once again call for reform of the Security Council and repeat our plea for the start of a text-based negotiation. We all agree that an equitable representation of Africa on the Security Council will not only redress a gross historical injustice but also render the Council more democratic and representative. We also support India’s legitimate aspiration for a permanent seat in an enlarged Security Council and a non-permanent seat for small island developing States.
Four days ago we celebrated the memory and legacy of one of Africa’s most illustrious leaders, Nelson Mandela (see A/73/PV.4 et seq.). As world leaders, we would benefit from being inspired by the words and actions of Mandela, especially when he said:
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead.”
Together we can make that difference.


At the outset, I would like to congratulate the President on her election to lead the General Assembly at its seventy- third session. I would also like to extend my sincere greetings to everyone here, as well as to congratulate His Excellency Mr. Miroslav Lajčák and his team on their excellent work during the previous session.
I would like to  express  my  country’s  gratitude to Secretary-General António Guterres for his commitment to serving the United Nations, and to reaffirm the Niger’s support for the continuation of the reforms he has courageously undertaken to adapt our shared Organization to the demands  and  challenges of modern times. The challenges, as we all know, are certainly enormous. But thanks to his determination and his excellent team, we believe that we will be able to achieve the expected results. In that regard, I would like to assure him of my delegation’s full support.
By giving this session the theme “Making the United Nations relevant to all people: global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies”, we have been both provided with a timely reminder of the profound motives that led to the

creation of the United Nations and called on to renew our confidence in it. My delegation can therefore only welcome that appropriate choice of theme in a world facing multiple challenges, such as terrorism, violent extremism, climate change, migration  and  poverty, all of which require greater international cooperation and responsible engagement on the part of all of us. In that regard, the Niger believes that the United Nations remains a valuable and irreplaceable organization, not only for promoting international peace and security but also for responding effectively to the various challenges facing our States. In other words, my country prioritizes multilateralism and the unifying role of the United Nations. Our combined efforts and resources for reaching common solutions remain the best alternative in our efforts to ensure peace, security and the harmonious development for humankind.
Concerning the issue of migration, the Niger welcomes the finalization of the draft text of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration, the first-ever international agreement initiated by the United Nations on managing migration. Combating irregular migration and other shameful  practices such as the illegal smuggling of migrants and human trafficking has been the focus of many international meetings in recent years. During those meetings, many commitments were made to eradicating those scourges. In 2016, in order to implement those commitments, the Niger outlined and implemented an operational doctrine based on balanced legislation and commensurate regulatory measures, which have enabled us to deliver concrete results. For example, between October 2016 and January of this year we reduced by 90 per cent the monthly total of potential migrants entering the city of Agadez, the main point of entry and exit for migrants in the Niger. In 2017, 268 traffickers were referred to the courts, and 140 of their vehicles were impounded. Those results, which have been unanimously acknowledged and commended by the international community, are the product of the commitment and political will of President Mahamadou Issoufou to combating irregular migration and trafficking in persons and helping to eradicate the inhuman and degrading treatment of migrants beyond Agadez.
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the cooperation between the Niger and the United Nations through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, which contribute
significantly to managing migration flows in my country. The Intergovernmental Conference to Adopt the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, to be held in Marrakech in December, will result in the adoption of the global compact and will certainly be a defining moment. The Niger, as a perfect example of a transit country, will attend the Conference in Marrakech in order to support the initiative as a starting point for structured international cooperation on migration.
The  Sustainable  Development  Goals   remain one of the major preoccupations of the international community in general, and  of  developing  countries in particular. Three years after their adoption, my country has just presented its first voluntary national review of its implementation of the Goals at the High- level Political Forum on Sustainable Development held here in New York in July. The Forum, under the theme “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies”, provided the  Niger  with  an  opportunity to share with other members of the international community our progress, especially in the areas of energy access, education and health services, as well as security. In pursuing development, my country has adopted a 2035 strategy for sustainable development and inclusive growth, incorporated into  its 2017- 2021 economic and social development plan, which constitutes the national framework for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The strategy is also linked to the African Union’s Agenda 2063 for the development of the continent, one of the key implementation instruments of which is the African Free Continental Trade Area, adopted in Rwanda in March at the tenth extraordinary summit of the African Union, convened for that purpose.
The Free Trade Area is aimed specifically at overcoming dependence on commodity  exports  and at promoting social and economic transformation so  as to achieve inclusive growth, industrialization and sustainable development throughout the continent. Considerable efforts to mobilize domestic resources are being pursued diligently in line with the spirit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda on Financing for Development. It is nonetheless clear that many challenges remain and must be overcome if we are to meet the goals of those various programmes. Hence the need for the effective implementation of a more proactive and equitable global partnership in accordance with the commitments

made by developed countries with regard to official development assistance.
In addition, as a country of the Sahel with two thirds of its land area in the desert, the Niger is being hit hard by the effects of climate change, whose economic consequences are on the verge of making people’s lives intolerable. The 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change represents a unique opportunity to save our planet. The Niger has taken pride  in  implementing the measures set out in the Agreement’s road map. Accordingly, in November, at President Mahamadou Issoufou’s initiative as Chair of the Sahel climate commission, my country will host a round table for technical and financial partners to identify guidelines for the implementation of the Sahel region climate investment plan. I therefore call on the international community, as well as our various partners, to participate in that endeavour. Financing the plan will enable the Sahel countries to manage the impact of climate change on populations and ecosystems more effectively.
The demographic challenge is another priority area for my country, which is dealing with a population growth rate of 4.2 per cent, the highest in the world, according to our 2012 general census of the population. Aware of the impasse that the country could face if nothing is done to reduce that rate, the Government has redoubled its efforts by engaging the people and their traditional and religious leaders and partners in  a significant effort to reverse the trend. Since then we have noted a drop in the overall national average birth rate from 7.6 children per woman in 2012 to 6 per woman in 2017. If that trend continues, within several years we hope to achieve manageable population growth in relation to our gross national product. For that we need the robust support of the international community. At the same time, the Government will pursue efforts to enrol girls in school and ensure that they stay in school up to the compulsory age of 16, as the two problems are closely linked.
I mentioned earlier the major challenges  facing the Sahel region in general and the Niger in particular. They involve terrorism, cross-border crime, extreme poverty and climate and  environmental  shocks,  all of which have disrupted our agro-pastoral economy and increased the vulnerability of the peoples of the Sahel. In order to tackle our security challenges, the Heads of State and Government of the region have taken initiatives, including by pooling their resources
through the establishment of the Multinational Joint Task Force of the Lake Chad basin countries and of  the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G-5 Sahel), in order to mitigate the Malian crisis and its spillover into neighbouring countries.
With regard to the situation in the Lake Chad basin region, the 2014 deployment of the Multinational Joint Force made up of troops from Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and the Niger has enabled us to weaken the operational capacity of the terrorist group Boko Haram, thereby contributing to the gradual return of peace and stability to the subregion. The challenge facing the region today is therefore becoming markedly more socioeconomic rather  than  security-related.  It is now  a  matter of  gradually ensuring the welfare of a population reeling from the disasters created by the years of violent conflict that have resulted in hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced persons. It is also a matter of rebuilding the region’s economy, while prioritizing youth employment and rebuilding the Lake Chad region. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all partners currently involved in dealing with the humanitarian consequences of that conflict.
Within the framework of the  G-5  Sahel,  the Joint Force for that region was established in 2017 to combat terrorism and cross-border crime within the five member countries more effectively, as well as to secure the region and thereby create the conditions necessary for implementing development programmes. The process of making the Joint Force operational has not been as rapid as the countries concerned would have liked. However, with the impetus provided by the African Heads of State and Government at the thirty- first African Union Summit in Nouakchott in July,  the process seems to be gaining momentum. The four operations undertaken with the support of Operation Barkhane, led by France, have been successful. The Joint Force’s primary concern involves obtaining, in a sustainable way, the resources needed to carry out its work. The international high-level conference on the Sahel held  in Brussels in February made it  possible to secure the financing required for the first year. We welcome that accomplishment, thank those partners that pledged to support our efforts financially, and urgently appeal for the completion of the process needed to make the pledged funds available. Beyond the first year’s scope of work, however, the outlook is not reassuring with regard to ensuring that the Joint Force has the necessary funding to complete its mission. In

order to ensure sustained funding and resources for it, we continue to believe that the best-advised solution would be to give it a mandate under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. It is a matter of peace and security in the region, and even the world.  We find it difficult to understand the hesitation shown by certain countries when faced with the obvious.
The challenges facing us are not only security- related. They are above all economic. The  Sahel needs meaningful investments for its  development. We welcome the ubiquitous initiatives to that end, including those of the United Nations, the African Union, the European Union and other bilateral partners, but we must act fast in coordinating their implementation. The upcoming meeting in Nouakchott on 6 December dedicated to the G-5 Sahel priority investment programme will be a major test for efforts to deal resolutely with the issue of development, which, in my opinion, is the best defence against terrorism.
Concerning other conflicts in Africa, my country welcomes the de-escalation in the Horn of Africa over the past three months and the peace agreement signed by the warring parties in South Sudan. Those are two pieces of good news, and we can only be grateful for the wisdom that led to them. With regard to the Middle East, our meeting here is taking place in an environment in which international solidarity with the Palestinian cause is undergoing a noticeable decline in terms of political and financial support, resulting in  budget cuts and the recognition of Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the capital of Israel by certain members of the international community. The Niger reaffirms its support for the aspirations of the Palestinian people to realize their right to establish their own independent and sovereign State within the June 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital. With regard to Yemen, we express our commitment to that country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Niger rejects all forms of interference in its internal affairs and supports it  in  its search for a peaceful solution to the current bloody conflict and efforts to achieve comprehensive and harmonious development.
Since the 2005 World Summit, we at the United Nations have been working on comprehensive reform of the United Nations system, aimed at enabling the Organization to play its unifying and leading role in realizing solidarity and friendship among peoples. In our view, the new global partnership for development must mean a decrease in intra- and inter-State
inequalities and the collaboration of every State — large or small, rich or poor — in the decision-making process in overseeing world affairs. That is how we will ensure balanced governance at the United Nations. With regard to reform of the Security Council, the Niger remains committed to the African Common Position eshrined in the Ezulwini Consensus. We strongly encourage Member States to step up that process and demonstrate greater resolve in their efforts to adapt the Security Council to the realities of today’s world.
In conclusion, on behalf of peacekeeping operations, I stress the fact that new forms of conflict, particularly asymmetrical wars, impose demands on us to which we would like to see a response in the form of a radical transformation of the current United Nations peacekeeping system. That will require strengthening cooperation among the United Nations, regional organizations and the troop-contributing countries and providing missions with conflict-specific mandates.