Allow me to begin by congratulating the President on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy- third session. Her assumption of that important office contributes to our progress in breaking down the barriers of inequality, considering that she is one of only four women to have held that position in 73 years.
The President is the first woman from the Latin America and Caribbean region to have  been  elected to that post, and we are especially proud of her achievement. Saint Lucia is a staunch advocate for gender equality, as evidenced by the large percentage of Saint Lucian women who hold senior positions in and out of Government, including the four female ministers in my Cabinet. The President can rest assured that she has my delegation’s full support at the upcoming session.
I  stand before the Assembly today as a  leader of  a small island developing State (SIDS) that is also a middle-income country. Saint Lucia’s engagement in the international system is framed by acronyms that represent designations and categorizations that have been globally accepted. For example, it has become
accepted that SIDS are more vulnerable to natural hazards than other countries. The fact that the resulting damage from natural disasters has a greater overall impact on our economies by virtue of our small size has also become widely accepted. The fact that SIDS that are also middle-income countries face additional challenges because of the assumptions regarding the capabilities of countries carrying that designation has also been acknowledged.
We all know those truths. They are, in fact, self- evident. This Hall has echoed with the words of SIDS and middle-income country leaders, who make plain and clear, year after year, the challenges  that  we  face. Yet global policies, programmes and strategies remain unfairly unaccommodating to those very real and true challenges. The world acknowledges our acronyms, but little or nothing else changes. Saint Lucia remains economically vulnerable to de-risking and the  loss  of  correspondent  banking  relations. We remain excluded from access to concessionary financing. Our reputations are unfairly tarnished by tax-related labels. We continue to struggle under the weight of international frameworks that do not provide an enabling environment for my country to chart an effective sustainable development path or even to be able to take control of our own destiny.
Despite the fact that the odds remain stacked against us, Saint Lucia must survive and persist. I have an obligation to the people of my country, and so I must find new and innovative ways, regardless of the difficulties, to keep our economy growing and to ensure and enhance environmental and social protections. I do not have the luxury of waiting for the international system to adjust to the special needs of countries like my own, while natural disasters continue to threaten and erode the gains that we have made. In preparation for the coming hurricane season, Saint Lucia has had to spend three times the amount of money that we did last season. In order to meet those costs, we have had to impose new taxes to facilitate our preparedness.
For example,  we  have  introduced  a  water  tax  to assist with the de-silting of our dam, a gas tax to assist with road rehabilitation and slope stabilization, and an airport tax to assist with the development of a new terminal, as well as highway and flood mitigation measures around the airport. Saint Lucia is moving forward with an aggressive agenda to reform our institutions and build a more  resilient  country.  We are making difficult decisions and are committed to

increasing the productivity of our Government through the use of e-Government tools. I want to acknowledge and thank Estonia for its assistance in that area.
We are building resilience with the support of the United Arab Emirates, which has given us assistance in the form of engineers, and with loans from Taiwan to enable us to rebuild our roads and our airport. I want to thank my citizens, in particular, for their continued support and understanding. We will play our part in the adaptation of our economy, and we will adapt to the new normal.
The President of the World Bank has acknowledged that “good health is the foundation of a country’s human capital, and no country can afford low-quality or unsafe health care”. The challenge of providing adequate and affordable health care is another area of focus for Saint Lucia. We understand that preventive and affordable health care is critical to the  social  development  of any nation, and more so for a small State  with  a  small population. We are plagued with cases where individuals delay in seeking early medical assistance owing to the high cost, only to be saddled with a serious diagnosis later, thereby increasing the cost burden to the State and the individual.
We have therefore taken steps to address the issue from multiple angles. We are working with partners such as the European Union and the World Bank with the goal of implementing the necessary policies and legislation to give life to a national health-insurance scheme. We are also looking into preventive approaches, such as the imposition of appropriate labelling and a sugar tax, as we grapple with the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases. We are also expanding our after-school programmes, which focus on building healthy lifestyles through physical activity and diet. We are establishing sports academies complete with nutritionists who will be community-based so that their expertise can be shared.
Saint Lucia has worked hard to grow and develop within the context of an international system that acknowledges our existence and needs only theoretically, while any practical and tangible manifestation of those acknowledgements is rarely seen or felt.
We have seen the disastrous impact of natural disasters brought on by the changes in our climate. As I speak, my country is suffering from the ravages of Tropical Storm Kirk, which was on a projected course north of my island but changed direction overnight and
moved directly over Saint Lucia. This morning, Saint Lucia also suffered an earthquake. Early reports indicate damage to our utilities that remain above ground and extensive damage to the agricultural sector. Once again, my heart goes out to our hard-working men and women and the communities that depend on agriculture. But they may rest assured that regardless of the difficulties, we will provide the necessary support to help our people recover as quickly as possible. My thoughts and prayers are also with the Government and the people of Barbados, who have also been affected, as well as Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, which now lies in the path of the storm, and Martinique, which suffered an earthquake this morning.
Our resilience as a people and our ability to pick ourselves up should not be used to punish us. I applaud Japan, India and the numerous states within the United States of America that have the capacity to respond effectively to natural disasters. I envy the fact that they have the fiscal and policy space they need to enable them to effectively recover and rebuild, while we, as SIDS, are continually denied that ability.
We are aware that Dominica, the British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, among others, are still recovering from the storms one year later. Yet little has changed. The Caribbean Community-United Nations High-Level Pledging Conference to support reconstruction efforts in the region following Hurricanes Irma and Maria received pledges of more than $1.3 billion, but there remains a significant gap between the pledges made and the actual amounts that have been disbursed. While those pledges were well intended, we have been let down once again.
My delegation welcomes the initiative to convene a high-level meeting on the challenges of middle-income countries during this seventy-third session of the General Assembly. Saint Lucia has continued to place our concerns about debt sustainability on the global agenda. We have joined the call for the creation of a highly indebted middle-income-country initiative based not only on the urgent need for debt relief, but also on the need to acknowledge and highlight the negative implications of the challenges that middle-income countries  face in  accessing   concessionary financing — so vital to building resilience in our countries. We fear a business-as-usual approach to such a meeting, but remain hopeful that it will provide substantive outcomes with actionable solutions.

Multilateralism is under threat. We have heard the cries from leaders this week. The winds of nationalism that threaten to blow us away from our collective endeavours here at the United Nations are gathering strength. But Saint Lucia believes that it is  only within a strong, functional multilateral system that the guarantees of world peace and security can be provided. To paraphrase what Secretary-General António Guterres has said, in a world in which all problems are global, there is no way countries can handle issues by themselves. We need global responses.
The ongoing reform of the United Nations system is critical. The increasingly  chaotic  world  requires an organization that is responsive and effective and that reflects the political and economic reality of a changing world and of all its Member States. We can no longer operate within a framework of ideologies, policies, institutions and patterns of behaviour that were established at a time long past to deal with circumstances long gone.
We must be willing to challenge discrimination and exclusion if we hope to create an equal and just world for all. Every country has a role to play in this global environment. We know that. Saint Lucia joins the other voices calling for an end to the more than half-a-century-old embargo imposed on our neighbour Cuba, and to all restrictions on the rights of the Cuban people, particularly regarding liberty, security and advancement. Similarly, we call for an end to the restrictions on the legitimate  aspirations  of  Taiwan to participate as an observer in key international institutions, such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). We demand that as much for us as for them.
In our hemisphere, where confrontations and disagreements exist, I reaffirm Saint Lucia’s position that all conflicts must be resolved through diplomatic channels. As we work to reform this institution, we must ensure that no one is left behind. We must find the political will and courage to ensure that the United Nations, as currently evolved, not only acknowledges the challenges of its membership but provides adequate solutions for all.
Notwithstanding the myriad challenges that frame our engagement in the international system, Saint Lucia remains committed to the objectives of
multilateralism. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was a triumph of multilateral cooperation, but it is the successful implementation of the Agenda, the fulfilment of the promise of its purpose, that will define the true measure of our collective will to transform and develop as a global community.
It is within that context that Saint Lucia has committed to presenting its voluntary national review of our progress in implementing the 2030 Agenda at the 2019 high-level political forum on sustainable development. I am also pleased to report that Saint Lucia will deposit the required instrument to ratify the Doha Amendment to the Kyoto Protocol before the start of the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. This week, Saint Lucia also reaffirmed its commitment to international law by signing the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
In order to build peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies, SIDS, particularly those  that  are middle-income countries, must look to a different course of action in order to arrive at a more immediate solution to our development challenges, while we continue to call for changes in the international system. Saint Lucia has recorded two successive years of consistent economic growth. We have increased our tax revenue and are on course to attract record foreign direct investment. We are still competing, having to find new ways to ensure our growth and development, but imagine how much better we could do in building economic and social resilience to further enhance our ability to meet our sustainable development goals and improve the quality of life of our citizens if a fair and just international enabling environment were made available to us.
Let us not forget that we come together here as nations united to build institutions, norms and rules that advance the shared interests of all, not only those of a select few. The enormous challenges of our moment in history require a renewed social contract, based on shared responsibility, and the space to achieve that global compact is right here at the United Nations. Let us draw on the inspiration of Nelson Mandela and his incredible ability to forgive and find solutions for the greater human good.

There is a Buddhist proverb that says, “To know and not to do is not yet to know”. If the international community claims to know and accept the special circumstances and vulnerabilities of the SIDS, and does nothing to remedy the systems and frameworks that exacerbate our vulnerability, can the international community say that it really knows? Have we truly accepted the evidence? While the answers to those questions may not be readily available, countries like my own have to chart a development  path  through this changing and volatile world. It is my hope that as multilateralism evolves, and with it this institution, we will arrive at knowing and at doing what must be done.


It is my pleasure to address the General Assembly on behalf  of Montenegro, one of the youngest members of the United Nations, which, since the restoration of its statehood 12 years ago, has clearly and unequivocally confirmed its commitment to joint action within the United Nations system.
At the outset, allow me to congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés of Ecuador on her election as the President of the General Assembly at its seventy- third session, and to wish her success in carrying out the responsibilities and duties of the post. I also want to thank the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, Mr. Miroslav Lajčák, for his outstanding leadership and contribution to strengthening the role of the General Assembly and stepping up dialogue with Member States. I congratulate him on another job well done, and express gratitude for the lasting friendship he has shown towards Montenegro.
I welcome the theme chosen for the general  debate of the seventy-third session. I firmly believe that in these challenging times concerted action and shared responsibility for peaceful, just and sustainable societies are the right and only way towards achieving our goal of making the United Nations relevant to all people on the planet.
Given the complex situations and challenges that the world is facing, the grave divisions for numerous reasons, the catastrophic consequences of the spread of terrorism and violent extremism, as well as climate change, there is no question that only through joint action can we succeed in resolving conflicts and preventing the further suffering of innocent people.

The historic multilateral agreements that we have made in recent times show what we can do through joint action. These agreements, primarily the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, envisage our common future and confirm that multilateralism is not an option but the only effective tool in our toolbox.
For the full implementation of the adopted agreements, reforming the United Nations and strengthening  its central  role   in   multilateralism are more necessary than ever. This seventy-third session is therefore of paramount importance for restoring confidence in the United Nations. Indeed, notwithstanding the sometimes justified criticism directed at the Organization, it is capable of achieving the noble objectives for which it was founded. It cannot be said that these lofty goals have been achieved in today’s world, but neither do we have to hide that fact. We must look the problem in the eye and assume our share of responsibility for the state of today’s — and tomorrow’s — world.
Montenegro strongly supports the United Nations reform process. I am confident that the issue of fragmentation within the Organization can be settled by strengthening the linkages among all three pillars of action and by promoting greater transparency, efficiency and accountability. I believe that the implementation of the complex reform agenda, coupled with the strong leadership of Secretary-General Guterres, will result in a more efficient Organization and contribute to reducing suffering throughout the world and ensuring common peace, security and prosperity.
I would like to remind the General Assembly of Montenegro’s views, in a nutshell, on some of the key topics on the agenda of this session of the Assembly. First of all, Montenegro is strongly committed to the policy underlying the Sustainable Development Goals and the work being done to achieve those Goals, which complement the reforms that we have undertaken in our European integration process. Furthermore, although its share in global emissions and population statistics is small, Montenegro is committed to the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement through the responsible and sustainable management of its development potential. Montenegro welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to hold a climate  change  summit in 2019.
In terms of finding solutions to conflicts all around the world, we are aware that the international community often fails to prevent crime and the suffering of many. In addition to what we have learned from the long-standing conflict in Syria, the findings of the commission of inquiry into human rights violations in Myanmar also warn of the importance of prevention and addressing the causes of instability in a timely manner. It is our moral and political responsibility to prevent impunity for the perpetrators of the crimes committed. In this regard, the role of the Security Council, the International Criminal Court and other criminal tribunals is crucial.
Montenegro deplores the stalemate in settling the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the lack of progress in resolving the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip. Today we call on all parties to uphold international law and refrain from unilateral actions that weaken confidence and make it difficult to reach a mutually acceptable peace agreement. We strongly support the resumption of negotiations and the use of mediation in striving to reach a peaceful solution.
Conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya and other countries, as well as the long-standing Palestinian- Israeli conflict, require an immediate end to violence, respect for international law on the part of all parties to the conflict and peaceful settlements achieved through diplomatic means as soon as possible. In order to eradicate terrorism and violent extremism, we must step up efforts to strengthen the implementation of the prevention pillar of the United Nations Global Counter- Terrorism Strategy. The focus of our activities must be on the integration of vulnerable and marginalized groups and care for young people as the main stakeholders in a better future.
We strongly support global efforts aimed at disarmament and the  non-proliferation  of  weapons of mass destruction. I am certain that through the consistent application of the relevant treaties on nuclear disarmament and arms control, we can achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world. We therefore support the activities of the United States of America, the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea aimed at ensuring the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.
I will now touch on two very important and intertwined aspects of today’s world: human rights and humanitarian challenges.

Any violation of human rights poses a threat to democracy and the rule of law and represents a step towards possible conflict. At a time when we are commemorating the seventieth anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the twenty-fifth of the adoption of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action and the twentieth of the adoption of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, we are witnessing an increasing number of examples of grave human rights violations around the world. It is unacceptable that we remain silent about this fact. In addressing these situations, we acknowledge the important role of the Human Rights Council and the need for it to be more efficient and effective in its functions in order to build on the results achieved so far. A  strong and determined commitment to taking  a progressive approach to human rights is necessary, as is improving our record in adhering to the highest standards at all levels.
With respect to the protection and promotion of human rights at the national level, significant progress has been made in the protection of women, children and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender populations, and in the integration of marginalized  groups.  We aim to strengthen and expand our national human rights dialogue, which should contribute to improved adherence to international standards. Montenegro’s commitment to the issue of gender equality and the fight against violence against women has been reaffirmed by our chairmanship of the Executive Board of UN- Women. We strongly advocate greater roles for women as leaders, high-level decision-makers and stakeholders in conflict prevention, resolution and reconciliation.
Although humanitarian challenges are on the  rise, I want to emphasize the importance of two key multilateral agreements that have arisen under the auspices of the United Nations, the global compacts  on migration and refugees. The adoption of the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration will contribute to the improved management of international migration in all dimensions, to the benefit of all States and communities, including migrants. Our Government is working in all areas to better regulate migration processes and is doing everything it can to enable the admission of migrants and refugees in accordance with international standards in this area, while taking into account its own national capacities. Bearing in mind our experience in admitting a large number of refugees during the Balkan conflicts in the 1990s, we have helped
to develop the global compact on refugees, which we believe will contribute to the international community’s joint action to regulate the mass movement of refugees and provide support to destination countries.
In the past 12 years, since the restoration of our independence, we have made rapid progress in the State-building process on the basis of lofty democratic values. Our results are not just a product of political pragmatism but a vision of a modern Montenegro geared to the stability and prosperity of its citizens.
Montenegro is a new member of NATO, having joined it last year.  We  are aware of  the necessity for  a safe and secure environment and are committed to dealing with the issues of global security and the preservation and enhancement of common values within both NATO and United Nations peacekeeping missions. Membership in NATO has given us a strong incentive to further strengthen the rule of law based on the highest democratic values.
At the same time, we are vigorously implementing economic reforms that have resulted in a high economic growth rate of more than 4.5 per cent last year and in the first half of this year. The reforms are based on principles of sustainable development that will secure higher living standards for our people in the longer term.
At the moment, Montenegro is a front runner among the Western Balkan States engaged in the process of joining the European Union. Among other things, we have earned this position because multinational and multireligious harmony has been a historical feature of our country and our greatest value. We are committed to strengthening institutions and making them sustainable, and are determined to win the fight against organized crime and corruption.
Before concluding, I would like to draw the Assembly’s attention to the current situation in my region. The Western Balkans is now a better place to live than 20 or 30 years ago, owing to the efforts of  the international community and the Governments of the countries of the region. We in Montenegro believe that there is no better future for our citizens  than being integrated into the European Union. We are also confident that this choice is also natural for Europe. In our view, European values are the best — indeed, the only — answer to growing nationalism and populism. However, in order to achieve the goal of furthering European values, decisive action must be taken based

on a clear vision of wholeness, stability and strength in every corner of Europe.
Montenegro will remain committed to promoting regional stability and cooperation and developing good neighbourly relations. In that regard, we welcome the signing of the historic agreement between Macedonia and Greece, which contributes to broadening the European and Euro-Atlantic perspective of the region. We hope for the successful implementation of the agreement reached, which will be conducive to creating an environment favourable to the further overall development of the region.
We also welcome the negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina. We believe that in the coming period it will result in the achievement of a lasting agreement and the full normalization of relations, which is in the interest of both the region and Europe.
Montenegro will continue to be a responsible partner as it works together with the United Nations. Through its membership in the organs and agencies of the United Nations, it will contribute to United Nations efforts aimed at addressing global challenges. In addition to its membership in and chairing of the Executive Board of UN-Women, Montenegro has submitted its candidacy for membership in the Economic and Social Council for the period from 2020 to 2022, the Human Rights Council for the period from 2022 to 2024 and the Security Council for a term from 2026 to 2027.
We believe that we will gain the support and confidence of the States Members of the United Nations in those bodies, which will be an opportunity to contribute to stronger and more effective United Nations action. The key interests  of  our  countries  are shared — they are greater peace, security and prosperity for our citizens. In this respect, the United Nations must continue to play a strong role.


At the outset, it is my pleasure, on behalf of the Government and people of the State of Kuwait, to extend my sincere congratulations to the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session on her election, as well as to her friendly country, Ecuador. I would also like to reassure her of our full support in facilitating her work and fulfilling her responsibilities. We are fully confident of her ability to undertake that task, as her experience in international affairs will have a positive impact on conducting this session’s work.
I would also like to take this opportunity to express my country’s sincere appreciation for the outstanding efforts of her predecessor during his able and successful presidency throughout the previous session.
Allow me  also to commend the great efforts of  the Secretary-General in leading the Organization with visions and ideas for the maintenance of international peace and security based on the purposes and principles of the Charter. We firmly support his reform initiatives, particularly those relating to ways to settle conflicts peacefully, which promote practical rather than theoretical preventive diplomacy. That would be achieved through a United Nations plan that ensures consensus on effective reforms in order for the international organization to play its desired role.
Preventing and resolving conflicts by peaceful means continue to be one of the most important reasons for the establishment of the United Nations. After the bloody experiences of the First and Second World

Wars, despite their unprecedented and catastrophic consequences for humankind, those wars constituted the genuine motivation for developing a meaningful international system to protect our present and future generations from the scourge of war.
The United Nations has played a critical and historical role in the past seven decades, during which it has developed its working methods and expanded its mandates to include humanitarian, political, security, development and economic issues throughout the world. However, growing challenges, increasingly severe conflicts and the risks that they pose for international peace and security have shown the urgent need to enhance the ability of the United Nations to adequately respond to the challenges facing our world today. Those challenges include the spread of violence, extremism and terrorism, as well as the  dangers pertaining to the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the continuous violations of human rights, climate change and others.
The proposals and plans that the Secretary-General has introduced to restructure the Secretariat, with a view to enhancing its effectiveness and increasing its efficiency in order to ensure that its efforts in ending conflicts are not wasted, are a preliminary important step to transform the issue of reform from hypothetical discussion to realistic application. In that regard, we stress once again our support for that step, which is part of the expectations that the peoples of the world have of the Organization, considered to be a safe haven and guarantor of global peace and stability.
Nine months into our non-permanent membership of the Security Council for the period 2018-2019, the State of Kuwait has become increasingly aware of the need to reform the Security Council to make it more capable of shouldering its responsibilities and facing the growing challenges of today’s world. The reform must reflect the international reality in which we live and strengthen the credibility and legitimacy of the Security Council, while ensuring permanent Arab representation commensurate with the number of Arab Member States and the size of their contribution to the various activities of the United Nations.
Since its first day as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, the State of Kuwait has adopted an objective approach in addressing various issues on the Council’s agenda. Such an approach is a realistic reflection of its foreign policy, which is based on
respect for the sovereignty and independence of States and non-interference in their internal affairs. We also believe in the noble objective of the United Nations, which is that of maintaining international peace and security. Our involvement in the Security Council’s agenda was not constrained by any cultural, ethnic, political or geographical consideration, although its agenda is replete with Middle Eastern issues.
Through our non-permanent membership of the Security Council, the State of Kuwait seeks to go beyond routine participation in the work of the Council. We aim to broaden our horizons in order to elevate the sovereignty of international law, with all its branches, including respect for human rights, building a better future for the world’s population and avoiding any selectivity or partiality in addressing the various issues. That trend is based on the Charter of the United Nations and on the diplomatic legacy of the State of  Kuwait.  It gives preference to achieving peaceful solutions and promoting mediation efforts between parties. It reflects how we address the various issues and crises ravaging our world today. Human beings and their inherent rights remain the pillars of our foreign policy, based on the directives of His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah — may God protect him — the Emir of the State of Kuwait, who was honoured by the Organization as a leader of humanitarian work.
The Palestinian question is one of the most important and long-standing issues on the agenda of the Security Council. This year marks the seventieth anniversary of the adoption in August 1948 of Security Council resolution 56 (1948). It was the first time the Council addressed that protracted issue. Successive resolutions were adopted by the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as multiple international and regional initiatives, to lay the foundations for peace in the Middle East. However, Israel persists in its intransigence and continues to reject and ignore resolutions of international legitimacy.  It  continues its expansionist policies through the establishment of illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian territories. Such action constitutes a significant challenge to and blatant disregard for implementing resolutions of international legitimacy, the most recent of which is resolution 2334 (2016), which calls on Israel to stop its illegal settlement practices.
Furthermore, Israel continues to desecrate the sanctity of the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, in addition to its continued violations of human rights and

international humanitarian law, by detaining thousands of Palestinians in its prisons and detention centres and through its repeated military aggressions on the Gaza Strip, during which it does not take into account the protection of civilians in armed conflict. It disregards the agreed international measures under the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Given that the State of Kuwait seeks the full implementation of Security Council resolutions, we submitted a draft resolution at the Security Council in May, which repeatedly called on Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately cease the use of illegitimate force against civilians. That draft resolution also called for international protection to ensure the safety and security of Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories. Although the draft resolution was not adopted, the State of Kuwait will spare no effort to support the legitimate political rights of the Palestinian people until the occupation ends and permanent, just and comprehensive peace is achieved, in accordance with the principle of land for peace and the Arab Peace Initiative, while implementing all relevant resolutions of international legitimacy, which call for the two-State solution and the establishment of a Palestinian State, based on the 4 June 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Syrian crisis has entered its eighth year. The international community remains to a large extent unable to find a solution that ends its devastating consequences and horrific losses. Syrian citizens have remained the main victims of a conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 people, in addition to more than 12 million people who have become refugees and displaced persons.
The State of Kuwait, in cooperation and coordination with the delegation of the friendly Kingdom of Sweden, put forward resolution 2401 (2018) on the humanitarian situation in Syria, which was unanimously adopted by the Security Council. It was a positive sign of the solidarity and unity of the Council to end that human suffering, stop the hostilities and guarantee humanitarian access to those in need in Syria in a timely manner. Yet, today we deplore the fact that resolution 2401 (2018) has not been implemented on the ground.
Such efforts take place in the context of the humanitarian role played by the State of Kuwait to
address the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Syria since the beginning of the crisis. In the course  of such efforts, we have hosted three international donor conferences to galvanize support to ease the humanitarian situation in Syria. My country  has made voluntary contributions totalling $1.6 billion at those conferences.
In that regard, we reiterate our principled and unwavering position with regard to the Syrian crisis. We reject any military solution to the crisis and stress the need to step up efforts to bring all parties to the conflict together and start a dialogue in order to reach a peaceful settlement, in line with the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2254 (2015). The goal is to achieve a political reality agreed upon by all components of the Syrian people. That should preserve the unity and independence of Syria in order to attain the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people and ensure that the perpetrators of crimes are brought to justice and enjoy no impunity.
Our brothers in Yemen are facing critical unprecedented challenges, with serious  implications at the political, humanitarian and economic levels as a result of the coup d’état against the legitimate authorities by the Houthis in September 2014. The Houthis continue to reject the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, as well as international initiatives to achieve a political settlement. They remain a threat to the security and stability of the region by launching ballistic missiles against the sisterly Kingdom of  Saudi Arabia. Such action threatens the safety of navigation at Bab al-Mandab strait and the Red Sea. We strongly condemn such actions, which are contrary to international law and international humanitarian law.
In that regard, we underscore  once  again  our  full commitment to respecting Yemen’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, while rejecting interference in Yemeni internal affairs. We stress our full support for the constitutional legitimacy of Yemen, as the cradle of Arab civilization. We also stress the importance of prioritizing the  political  solution  to the crisis by resorting to the three agreed terms of reference: the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue and the relevant Security Council resolutions, in particular resolution 2216 (2015).

Given Kuwait’s preventive diplomacy, which is based on mediation and political settlement, for over
100 days in 2016 my country hosted the political consultations between the Yemeni parties, under the auspices of the United Nations. We underscore our readiness to host our Yemeni brethren for the signing of a final agreement whenever it is reached by Yemeni parties. We stress our ongoing support for the efforts of the United Nations and those of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen to achieve a peaceful solution to the crisis without delay.
The coup d’état against Yemen’s legitimacy has consequences that play a major role in the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country. Such consequences have led to frightening and unprecedented statistics. In fact, the Yemeni people continue to suffer, as they struggle to survive daily. The State of Kuwait has not ignored the needs of its brothers in Yemen. We have contributed a total of $350 million. We pledged
$250 million of that amount at the Geneva conference in April, where it was handed over in full to the United Nations agencies and its humanitarian bodies. The purpose of that contribution was to mitigate the serious deterioration at the humanitarian, health and economic levels. However, that deterioration will not stop until security and stability in Yemen are restored, which will in turn help to maintain its sovereignty and territorial integrity and re-establish harmony among all groups in the country.
The growing phenomenon of terrorism and violent extremism in the world, particularly in the Middle East, is an unprecedented challenge that has stricken the world order at its core. It has happened through the ideologies of secretive and rogue organizations, under the cloak of Islam, to achieve their destructive intentions.
The so-called Da’esh terrorist organization has perpetrated savage crimes, including widespread murder and destruction in various areas of the region. In response, the Global Coalition against Da’esh was established, a development for which the State of Kuwait has provided material and moral support, in line with the conventions on combating terrorism adopted by the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the United Nations from 1999 to 2001. Our brothers in Iraq were the first to suffer from the crimes of that terrorist organization. Cooperation between the international community, represented by the Security Council and the Government of Iraq, has
played a highly effective role in clearing Iraqi territories of that terrorist and dangerous cancer.
Proceeding from our conviction that post-war peace and security cannot be achieved without  redressing the impact of conflicts and their devastating effects, which undermine humankind, my country hosted the International Conference for the Reconstruction of Iraq. At that conference, pledges exceeded $30 billion, of which the State of Kuwait contributed $2 billion. In that regard, we underscore our firm position in favour of providing all forms of support in order to assist Iraq in fulfilling its outstanding commitments under the relevant Security Council resolutions and restoring its role and position in the region and the world.
At the regional level, and based on the same principles of good-neighbourliness and non-interference in the internal affairs of States, as set out in the Charter of the United Nations and international law, we once again call on the Islamic Republic of Iran to adopt serious confidence-building measures to establish relations based on cooperation, mutual respect and common interests. That would serve to direct efforts and capabilities towards promoting development and construction, and would reflect the hopes of all peoples in the region for a life of security and stability.
While confirming what I said earlier about the role that my country has been playing, which is based on prioritizing humanitarian issues, and in response to the tragic situation facing the refugees of the Rohingya Muslim minority in Myanmar, the State of Kuwait helped to organize the Security Council visit to Bangladesh and Myanmar. The aim of that visit was to discuss the refugee crisis, become familiar with the situation and assess the steps taken by the authorities of the two countries towards one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. We will pursue our efforts, as a member of the Security Council, to cooperate and coordinate with all parties concerned in order to guarantee the safe, voluntary and dignified return of the refugees and hold accountable all those responsible for crimes committed against them.
The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is one of the most successful achievements of the United Nations. It complements the efforts of the international community based on the fundamental rules emanating from the Millennium Development Goals, which achieved their noble objectives and spurred the United Nations to shift from defining relative goals

for confronting challenges to a comprehensive phase of radical and people-centred solutions.
Meeting our international obligations and achieving global solidarity represent a major leap towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goals in order to eradicate poverty in all its forms; ensure that all human beings enjoy equal rights to dignity, education, health and political participation; empower young people and women; and address the effects of climate change in the context of the historic Paris Agreement. Environmental degradation is one of the main obstacles to attaining those Goals, in accordance with the principle of shared responsibility, taking into account the different responsibilities and burdens.
The issue of migrants and refugees is perhaps one of the most prominent challenges facing sustainable development. We therefore look forward to the 2018 international conference on migration, to be held in the city of Marrakech in December, at which the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration will  be adopted.
As the State of Kuwait seeks to improve the welfare of people, we have taken effective measures  to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development as a priority of all our national plans and programmes, with the participation of all sectors of society. That was embodied in the future national vision for a new Kuwait to be accomplished by 2035, seeking to transform Kuwait into a leading regional, financial, commercial, cultural and institutional centre.
The State of Kuwait has always shouldered its regional and international responsibilities to achieve development in its various economic, social and environmental dimensions. We have made major strides in implementing the initiatives of His Highness the Emir of the State of Kuwait to promote international partnerships. Such partnerships complement the ongoing history of Kuwait in the development and humanitarian fields. In fact, Kuwait spared no effort in offering development assistance to developing countries, as well as to least developed countries, totalling 106 countries to date. We play  our role  as an active Member of the United Nations through our various institutions, in particular the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. We provide grants and soft loans for infrastructure projects in developing countries. Such assistance is more than double the internationally agreed upon percentage.
I would like to underscore that the State of Kuwait is committed to the international multilateral system and to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter. We believe in the importance and necessity  of advancing all efforts to guarantee the continuity and contribution of our long-standing  Organization by having all States fulfil their commitments and responsibilities under international conventions and conferences. That will  contribute  to finding  fair  and just solutions to global threats  and  challenges and to accomplishing the lofty goal of maintaining international peace and security.


It is my honour to address the Assembly for the fourth and final time as the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina. I congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his leadership of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. He worked tirelessly together with Secretary-General Guterres to make the Organization more effective. I am glad that the agenda for this year’s session will maintain a focus on those efforts.
I congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés on her election. The fact that she is only the fourth woman to hold the presidency of the General Assembly since 1946 is a reminder that gender equality and the empowerment of women must remain our top priority.
Two years ago, from this rostrum (see A/71/PV.12), I reflected on a number of ways and means to make our world more just and prosperous for all. Standing here today, I do not see much to rejoice about in terms of the progress we have made. Challenges have continued to multiply uncontrollably. Old conflicts have been magnified and new ones created. When compared to the past three decades, more countries are now engulfed in crises that are more violent and disruptive and result in ever greater divides. Those modern crises and conflicts are rarely confined to their place of origin. They shake entire regions and often proliferate further into the transnational arena.
Record numbers of civilians are victims of indiscriminate yet deliberate armed attacks. Many more are subjected to persecution, discrimination, marginalization and violations of basic human rights. Many others fall victim to natural disasters. The number of refugees, displaced persons and those in dire need of humanitarian assistance continues to rise.
It is through that lens that I want to reflect on three issues that are critical to addressing the global problems that we face — multilateralism, international law and the rules-based international order. I believe that adherence to multilateralism, compliance with international law and shared commitment to the rules- based global order is our only hope and the only way to resolve the complex challenges that confront us.
Whether it be conflict prevention or resolution, security, development, climate change, nuclear proliferation, terrorism, migration or human rights,

none of these problems can be successfully addressed or resolved by one, three or five  countries  alone.  Each and every one of those issues has transnational dimensions. Effective responses require an  exercise in responsibility and respect for agreed international norms and standards, strong coalitions based on mutual trust, and progressive, inclusive and democratic vision and leadership that embrace a new understanding of national sovereignty.
Yet today we are witnessing  severe  attacks  on the rules-based international order and the purposes, principles and norms of international law, which threaten to seriously undermine international peace and security. There are plenty of examples in our recent past that show what disregard for international law and the rules-based international order can bring. Those dark chapters of our history were a direct result of the community of nations failing to uphold the rules and norms on which our world order has been based when those very same rules and norms were challenged.
Our citizens want to live in a peaceful world in which human dignity is respected and fundamental human rights and freedoms are  protected.  That  is  the raison d’être of the Organization. That obligation goes far beyond our national borders or interests. No Government can focus only on delivering stability and prosperity to its own people while ignoring what goes on beyond its national borders, in its neighbourhood and in the wider world. To paraphrase Franklin Roosevelt, the structure for meeting any of the numerous challenges we face, including building and sustaining world peace, cannot be the work of one man or one nation large or small, but must be the cooperative effort of the whole world. Those words resonate today in the same way they did over seven decades ago.
Cooperative approaches have been key to eliminating smallpox,  vaccinating  record  numbers of infants against preventable diseases and beating back the menace of AIDS. Concerted efforts and the alliance of all nations are necessary to contain the risks of nuclear confrontation and successfully address global issues such as gender equality, climate change or the prosecution of war criminals at the international level. The spirit of multilateralism is  essential  in order to achieve and maintain peace, security and development around the world. A man who championed multilateralism in his lifelong work on the world stage, former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, once said:
“More than ever before in human history, we share a common destiny. We can master it only if we face it together. And that ... is why we have the United Nations.”
We must reaffirm this Organization of unified nations as the  true  embodiment  of  multilateralism. It is the only forum that brings together almost 200 countries to seek joint solutions to global problems that affect us all. It is the only forum that has the capacity, dedication and compassion to  solve  those  problems. It is the only forum where the voices of both big and small countries can be heard equally, even if all of those voices are not always equally acknowledged. Bosnia and Herzegovina is strongly committed to the preservation and strengthening of the United Nations, its values and principles, its missions and mandates, and its relevance, credibility and cohesion.
Time and again, we must remind ourselves of the fundamental values and principles that are enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and that embody the essence of the rules-based international order. Those principles and values remain as relevant today as they were in 1945. The primary responsibility of the Organization and all its States Members is to uphold and protect those commitments in the face of the modern challenges that profoundly test them.
The strong leadership and engagement of the United Nations, in particular its Security Council, in line with the norms of international law, are indispensable in situations such as those in Ukraine, Syria, Iraq and Libya, and in other  crisis  areas.  Yet  our  responses to modern crises and conflicts have unfortunately been marked by a disregard for international law, departures from multilateralism and a failure to adhere to the rules-based international order, by inaction and indifference to human suffering and violations of basic human rights.
Let us look at the Middle East, for example. The conflict in Syria has entered its eighth year, and we are nowhere close to bringing it to a resolution. Some of the most sustained violations of international humanitarian law in modern times, including the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, have gone unabated. Civilian casualties are constantly on the rise. The humanitarian situation keeps deteriorating.
The same applies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has lasted for more than half a century and brought about immense human suffering. Holding

a region hostage, as individual national interests compromise the interests of civilians who are caught in endless cycles of violence, is unacceptable.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue to support multilateral efforts to find solutions that will bring sustained peace and stability to the Syrian people and meet the legitimate expectations of both the Israelis and Palestinians of having two democratic States, living side by side within secure and recognized borders, in line with international law. As much as finding such solutions is a political question, it is also a matter of our common humanity.
Our shared ambition to leave no one behind is also put at serious risk by the evolving threat of radicalization, violent extremism and terrorism. That modern scourge easily finds fuel to sustain it not only in armed conflicts but also in social and political injustices, discrimination, marginalization and exclusion, poverty, unemployment and economic disadvantage.
Violent extremism and terrorism transcend physical and virtual borders. They constantly change tactics and invent new ways and means to spread. Extremists and terrorists remain intent on driving a wedge between and within societies, hindering our efforts to maintain peace and security, protect human rights and foster sustainable development. Our response must therefore be decisive, coherent, comprehensive and grounded in the international counter-terrorism framework that we have created. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains strongly committed to contributing to global efforts to counter and eradicate that modern menace in all its forms and manifestations. This is a profound challenge of our time that needs to be confronted at every step and by every means at our disposal.
The United Nations peacebuilding architecture remains as important as ever in addressing all the challenges that persist on the path towards sustainable peace around the world. We recognize the value of introducing the United Nations peacebuilding efforts at an early stage, alongside peacekeeping activities. Bosnia and Herzegovina supports the vision and efforts of Secretary-General Guterres to mainstream conflict prevention and peacebuilding as priorities of the United Nations.
Bosnia and Herzegovina is proud of its contribution to those goals through our participation in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Cyprus, Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of the
Congo and Mali. We have joined more than 130 other countries and organizations in endorsing the Secretary- General’s Declaration of Shared Commitments on United Nations Peacekeeping Operations. We support his efforts to make the United Nations peacekeeping missions stronger and more effective.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is the most powerful connector among the various pillars of the United Nations work. Its implementation is the most important pathway to global peace, security and prosperity. It will help States and societies establish resilient institutions that are able to detect, manage and absorb tensions; address and eliminate the root causes of conflicts and prevent their recurrence and create conditions for inclusive and sustainable development by reducing poverty, inequality and discrimination, ensuring respect for human rights and combating environmental degradation. The 2030 Agenda is a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive development rooted in respect for economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights. We believe that it is the best way to prevent conflicts and instability.
Strong global and regional cooperation, whether on matters of conflict prevention and resolution, the fight against terrorism or the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, is essential to the success of all those efforts. Bosnia and Herzegovina strongly values the cooperation we have  established  within  our  region of the Western Balkans. We remain committed to advancing that cooperation, including on our joint path towards membership in the European Union.
Bosnia and Herzegovina strives for the protection and promotion of values and principles that are shared by all countries. We believe that the ideals, values and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the norms and standards inscribed in international law should never be violated or disregarded. We believe that it is the obligation of all countries — big and small, powerful or less powerful — to uphold the noble values and principles on which the Organization is built. If any of us lacks the will to uphold those values and principles, then all our endeavours will be less valuable and less successful.
On that note, I leave the Assembly with the words of a great man, Nelson Mandela, as we mark the centenary of his birth,
“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.”


This summer we lost a great man, Kofi Annan. He stood for the need for Member States to be united in our approach if we wish to achieve the goals of the United Nations. That is why I am here addressing the General Assembly today, because I believe that global problems require global solutions. Advocating a global approach does not mean loving your country less than others. It means that working together makes it less likely that a might-is-right doctrine will prevail. Furthermore, better solutions can be found together, rather than alone.
In order to find solutions we must remain committed to communicating and understanding one another. Whatever challenges we need to address and however different each nation’s views and perspectives are, we have a better chance at solving them as a united force, rather than divided or on our own. Malta, being a member of both the European Union and the Commonwealth, knows only too well that no single nation, big or small, can tackle global problems alone.
The trend of nations drifting towards reactions based only on their own borders is a worrying one. Some,

unfortunately, are wanting to solve global issues with local solutions, which, as many here recognize, can at best give the illusion of working for a limited period of time, and at worst lead to almost immediate implosion.
We must, of course, respect the sovereignty of all nations, and we have no right to stand here before the Assembly hoping to judge others. But those who are closing themselves off from debate believe falsely that they can escape certain issues. We are seeing divisions not just among global leaders or nations, but within our own societies, neighbourhoods and even families. Local solutions breed global problems, which then manifest themselves with devastating results, from the use of plastic products that are polluting our seas to the point that they are killing our sea life, to mass migrations and the effect of displacement on both migrants and host societies, where there are vulnerable people on both sides.
I mention those examples because both of them have hit us particularly hard in Malta and in the Mediterranean Sea. The latter is visible to all. We are in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea, in the middle of the route between North Africa, Libya and mainland Europe, the centre of a journey that thousands of people have undertaken in recent years. We have been grappling with complexities that have existed for years — much longer than has been recognized on a priority basis by the international community — and that have dominated media headlines in Europe and beyond. Although crossings through the central Mediterranean have decreased in the past year, the concerns of our populations have grown. And many feel the international community has failed to provide solutions for them. That has given rise to movements that preach simplistic solutions to complex problems.
What can surely be stopped, if we have a unified approach, are the criminal gangs profiting from smuggling human beings.  With  a  global  strategy that can deliver incisive blows to migrant smugglers, we can disrupt their online recruitment efforts, their payment methods and their supply of sea vessels. Most important, working together, we can stop the people profiting from a practice that has often resulted in the deaths of so many innocent people.
Malta is a small State that has one of the highest rates of economic growth in Europe and in the world, but that also ranks among the highest worldwide in terms of the number of asylum applications per capita. Despite that, our humanitarian response is still fully in
line with our international commitments. That is also true for Malta’s embarkation policy, which has been consistent and clear. And we expect others, not only States but also the non-State actors involved, to abide by international rules.
In recent weeks — because of the actions of a few who have not abided by the relevant conventions — Malta had to bring together like-minded nations with a humanitarian conscience to offer a place of safety for stranded migrants. We had no legal obligation to do so, but we did it in a spirit of seeking unified solutions. And it proved that when solidarity works, complex issues can often have simple solutions. Although I am under no illusion and know that this was just a temporary respite in a much bigger problem, such actions could provide a foundation for long-term solutions, if all European Union member States could come together in a solution resembling a Bretton Woods-style institutional arrangement for addressing and managing migration with international support.
The soon to be adopted global compact on migration, which aims to establish a new global migration governance architecture on the principle of shared international responsibilities and solidarity, is a welcome move in the right direction. But it is a milestone on the road rather than the end of the road. We must now walk the talk by engaging in operational action.
Narratives that use inflated or false facts and thrive on a nation’s fear of openness have led to painful outcomes in history, not only producing the obvious effects but also affecting the dynamics of international relationships, which overflow into other issues with devastating results. The current surge in nationalism and tighter border controls threatens to do just that, with the potential for obstructing democratic decisions fuelling extremism of all kinds.
However, let us take some comfort in knowing that in the 73 years of the existence of the United Nations, the going has always been tough. In fact, those who have stood where I am standing today have faced  much worse crises, from wars and famines to injustice and killer diseases. But through unified approaches, solutions were found and nations survived. Each time we came together we emerged stronger as an institution, as a global community. We currently live in a world with fewer wars and more dialogue and cooperation than ever before.

But our work is not done, and it probably never will be. Although fewer people live in extreme poverty, that scourge has not been eradicated. We have found solutions to many life-threatening diseases, yet cures are still needed for others. Injustice remains, and climate change could be the greatest threat to life in our history. As we solve one issue, another replaces it. That is life. However, the important thing is that we continue to strive and work towards the greater good. But we can only do that together.
One way forward that Malta advocates is the harnessing of new technologies, which offer endless possibilities. We are currently in exciting technological times. With the lightning pace of current technological advances, each incredible piece of innovation could hold a new solution to problems that may have persisted for decades — from advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to 3D printing and the Internet of things.
Clearly, the fast and obvious transition to the digital economy and society poses challenges, which have to do with the very nature of concepts that we believed would stay as they were forever. One of them is the nature of work — how we envisage it, how we compensate it, how we maximize its efficiency and how the State creates new safety nets. That is a conversation that has just started globally, but that will shape public debate during our lifetime.
We can take the antagonistic view that technological progress is bad for us, that it will lead to new types of poverty, that it will strip people of their rights or even take decisions out of our hands. While such concerns may serve the needs of some politicians in the short term, and even appeal to well-meaning people who are afraid that progress will cost them their jobs or even more, such an approach is as myopic as advocating in the past that horse-drawn carts should not be replaced by motor vehicles.
Whether we are talking about immigration or technology, we do not arrive at solutions by closing doors. The digital economy should be seen as an opportunity, but we must realize that we  cannot  do the best job of harnessing its opportunities without evolving the current social contracts we have in place. Those who will be able to pair the digital economy with a new State, the digital State, will be best poised to have a future-proof society in which change does not galvanize extremes but helps to ensure further decades of sensible, mainstream policymaking and prosperity.
Then there are the other big questions for which the dawn of the digital age requires answers. Can we solve diplomatic negotiations that are at a stalemate by applying algorithms that can avoid war? Can we disarm terrorists by using the latest technologies? Is it possible to know immediately which remote parts of our planet need international humanitarian assistance? Could we create new organs for people so that no one on a waiting list dies for lack of a donor? Can we look forward to the day when humankind can be told that there is a cure for all cancers?
Only time will tell. But it is the accessibility of advanced technologies that will lead to solutions, hopefully for the whole world. I believe passionately that technology can revolutionize and improve systems. That is why we have launched Malta as the blockchain island by being the first jurisdiction worldwide to regulate that new technology, which previously existed in a legal vacuum. Blockchain makes cryptocurrencies, the inevitable future of money, more transparent, since it helps to separate good business from bad.
But such distributed-ledger technologies can do much more. They can provide solutions to health-  care systems in which patients have  real ownership  of their medical records. Emissions-trading systems can be taken to the next level. We can help to verify that humanitarian assistance is reaching its intended destination. We can make sure that people are not deprived of their legitimate property because of compromised data. Corporations will be able to become more accountable to their shareholders. States will have to move from hoarding information on citizens  to regulating an environment where citizens trust the handling of their data.
Those are just a few of the ways in which we can counter regressive and reactionary politics. This forum shows that we stand to gain through dialogue and cooperation, which will always triumph over division and self-absorption because in unity we can have hope.


I warmly congratulate  Ms. Espinosa Garcés on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. Of the four women who have served  as  President over the years, she is the first from Latin America

and the Caribbean. Jamaica is especially pleased that this honour has been conferred on such an eminent appointee from our region. We  also share her desire  to see a better gender balance in  the  presidency  of the General Assembly in the years ahead. She can be assured of Jamaica’s full support during her tenure.
The chosen theme for this session resonates well with us. It is imperative that we make the United Nations relevant to all people through global leadership and shared responsibilities for peaceful, equitable and sustainable societies.
This year it has been a decade since the global economic and financial crisis manifested itself in 2008. We are greatly encouraged by reports from international development partners that global growth has improved and unemployment has declined to its lowest since the crisis. We are, however, mindful that among developing economies, including small island developing States such as mine, growth prospects are becoming more uneven.
We remain vulnerable to a gamut of social, economic, environmental, financial and trade-related hazards, from within and beyond  our  borders.  In that context, Jamaica’s quest to achieve inclusive and sustainable economic growth and meaningful job creation has encountered challenges. Ten  years  on, we still face the vagaries of an uncertain and at times volatile global economic environment. Together with persistent challenges linked to climate change and more frequent intense weather events, those problems all impact the pace of our development.
Notwithstanding the multiple challenges that confront us individually or collectively, Jamaica is developing the social and political consensus it needs to pursue policies that will secure our economic independence. In the past decade, we  have  engaged in deep structural reform of our economy,  reduced our debt profile from its previous very high level, transformed our energy sector and increased our social support for the most vulnerable. What has been the result? Our sovereign ratings and outlook have moved from negative to positive.
Jamaica is not  sitting and waiting for  the world  to save it. As a small island developing State with numerous challenges, we are taking our destiny into our own hands. Ultimately, we believe that economic independence will secure our resilience. Nevertheless, we continue to strengthen traditional partnerships and
build new ones with like-minded  countries  around the world that see the global benefits generated when countries big and small, rich and poor, work together to solve issues too big for any of us to solve alone.
This year, Jamaica was pleased to be invited to represent  the  Caribbean  Community  (CARICOM) at outreach sessions of the Group of Seven and the Summit of the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We have also represented CARICOM throughout the year at meetings of the Group of 20 under the Argentine presidency. Those forums represent extremely influential groupings of countries. Jamaica believes that such groupings provide a unique opportunity, working alongside international development partners, to address the problems faced by weaker economies across the globe. Jamaica therefore welcomes the opportunity to share perspectives with our stronger economic partners to ensure that they gain an understanding of the risks that we face in our region of small developing States, most of which are island States.
Jamaica stands ready to continue working on how we can transform global thinking and together find effective solutions within a fair, rules-based multilateral system that is supportive of policies that seek to ensure the emergence and empowerment of small and developing States, truly leaving no country — and no one — behind.
Our concerted action must embody effective strategies to bolster the global financial system through a robust global campaign to identify funding for the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and resilience and adaptation measures to address the devastating effects of climate change and natural disasters. Jamaica and our CARICOM brothers and sisters do not have the luxury of engaging in a philosophical debate on whether or not climate change is real. The issue is existential for us. Major storms are no longer uncommon; they have given way to superstorms. They are stronger and more frequent. Every year, the Caribbean  region,  running right  up to the south-eastern coast of the United States of America, lives in fear for five months — five months of hoping that the devastation that was wreaked on North Carolina, Antigua and Barbuda, Texas and Grenada is not visited upon them this year.
Have Member States seen what has happened to Dominica? The disaster wreaked by those superstorms

is the closest thing that we  can imagine or  compare  to a nuclear event. After four hours of one hurricane, Dominica lost most of its gross domestic product (GDP). The people of that small island are still recovering today.
As the report of the Secretary-General on the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 (A/73/268) confirms, last year we witnessed the costliest North Atlantic hurricane season yet, with losses estimated at $229 billion. Furthermore, the economic cost of climate-related disasters globally was $320 billion.
With special reference to the issue of climate change, I was particularly honoured by the invitation from Secretary-General Guterres to join him and President Macron of France in leading a special initiative to mobilize funds committed at the Copenhagen Summit in 2009 to the amount of $100 billion per year until 2020. We are only two years away from the deadline but as of today we are nowhere near the target. We must therefore galvanize an effective mobilization campaign. Against that background, my delegation looks forward to the climate change summit to be convened by the Secretary-General in 2019. More specifically, I am also personally committed to working assiduously to strengthen momentum aimed at securing the promised resources to address climate-related issues, which affect all of us.
Many of  the  structural   factors  that   impede our ability to narrow the persistent income gap between developing and advanced economies can be addressed through the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for  Sustainable  Development  and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Global estimates of the scale of the SDGs financing gap run on the order of from $5 trillion to $7 trillion per annum. Meaningful progress in that regard will require us to tap into various sources of funding. I cannot overstate the importance of including innovative ways of mobilizing private-sector financing.
In addition, several small island  developing  States like Jamaica are deemed to have graduated to middle-income status primarily by virtue of their GDP per capita. Many of them, however, are highly indebted and vulnerable. High debt ratios constrain our ability to secure domestic fiscal resources at a reasonable cost for the implementation of national development goals. The reality is that even though many have made progress
in reducing levels of extreme poverty, several of our broader development efforts have stalled.
We therefore highly commend the work of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, which has affirmed the importance of complementing the per-capita income criterion by addressing structural gaps that retard development prospects for  middle-income countries. Accordingly,  I am reiterating my call for international financial institutions to address that persistent problem known as the middle-income trap. We believe that a special initiative for highly indebted middle-income countries could provide the framework for the type of support that those countries require. It is our great hope that the United Nations high-level meeting on middle-income countries, scheduled for later this year, will give its fullest consideration to  those  matters  and  to  ways in which the United Nations system can  provide better support.
In the interim, Jamaica continues to work with partners like Canada to provide a platform where countries can engage directly with actors in the private sector, development finance institutions and regulators. Our goal is to forge collaborative partnerships between United Nations Member States and the private sector in order to determine practical, solution-oriented ways of securing new and long-term capital investment, utilizing a mix of public, private and blended financing to implement the SDGs.
Even as we diligently seek financing for sustainable development, we are mindful that we live in a world where international peace and security are under continued threat. The world has witnessed several terrorist attacks and is grappling with a range of conflicts that appear intractable. The Secretary-General has therefore appropriately emphasized conflict prevention as well as promoting a new disarmament agenda. As he has often said, we must confront issues concerning peace and security along a peace continuum, from prevention, conflict resolution and peacekeeping to peacebuilding and sustainable long-term development.
Jamaica is especially interested in the efforts to build a secure environment by combating the illicit traffic and trade in small arms and light weapons. We have made significant national institutional changes, undertaken policy enhancements and adopted legislative amendments in the areas of security and justice in our own country. We now look forward to working with

other Member States, the United Nations system and partners at all levels to ensure that the progress we have made is sustainable.
Societies function best when an inclusive global environment is created where no one feels left behind. The implementation of the SDGs must be people-centred. Embargoes and other financial and economic barriers must not become tools aimed at preventing people such as our neighbours the citizens of the Republic of Cuba from attaining their rightful development goals. Jamaica continues to call for a lifting of the embargoes on that country. We also believe that it is important to support the efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special Envoys in pursuing the political processes related to situations such as those in the Western Sahara, Syria and Myanmar.
As we prepare to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, let us continue to be mindful of the many among us who consistently face discrimination in various forms. Jamaica has been at the forefront of international human rights efforts, having been the first country to incorporate human rights into its foreign- policy strategy, a principle that we guard fiercely. We will never lose sight of the responsibility to promote and protect the interests of the vulnerable. We are especially keen to ensure that our women, children, persons living with disabilities, our elderly and young people can make meaningful contributions to a safe and prosperous society and reap its benefits. Jamaica will shortly become a member of the Economic and Social Council, which is currently presided over by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Our term of office will coincide with what promises to be a momentous year for that body. We are committed to advancing the work of the Council, including during its High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Societies are not sustainable without healthy citizens. As a region that has been severely affected  by non-communicable diseases, we in the Caribbean are actively promoting and implementing measures to reverse that trend by encouraging health and wellness. I felt truly energized as I joined my CARICOM colleagues this morning in launching Caribbean Moves, a region-wide initiative aimed at raising awareness and increasing physical activity among our young people, as well as those who are not so young. We look forward to building on the outcomes of the high-level meeting that has been convened this week on
non-communicable diseases. Jamaica will also support ongoing actions to combat tuberculosis and promote universal health coverage.
The President of the General Assembly has challenged us to ensure that the United Nations remains a beacon of hope for each citizen across the globe. To that end, the United Nations must be responsive to an ever-changing and unpredictable world if it is to remain relevant and effective. The Secretary-General is correct in stating in his report on the work of the Organization that
“one of the most valuable assets of the United Nations is its capacity to operate as a convener of people, a proponent of ideas, a catalyst for action and a driver of solutions.” (A/73/1, para. 1)
For  that reason, we  remain steadfast in our support  of efforts to reform the United Nations. We commend the Secretary-General’s actions in pressing for reform of the peace and security architecture and the United Nations development system and its management and operational structure. Of course, we are ever-mindful of the words of our recently departed former Secretary- General Kofi Annan, a stalwart of multilateral diplomacy, that no reform of the United Nations will be complete without reform of the Security Council.
Our global alliance comprises 193 sovereign States, but there is no denying the fact that we are all interdependent. A joint and multifaceted response is required to surmount the myriad hurdles ahead of us, for it is only through collaboration that we can build our societies and secure our common future. Our legacy must be one that uplifts and inspires. Let that therefore be our mandate for the seventy-third session of the General Assembly.


I would like to begin by congratulating the President and her country of Ecuador on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly this year. Let me also thank the President’s predecessor for steering the General Assembly at its seventy-second session with admirable skill. On behalf of my Government and the people of Somalia, our sympathies and condolences go to the Government and the people of Indonesia, who have suffered as a result of the recent deadly tsunami that has claimed hundreds of human lives.
It is a profound honour for me to address the General Assembly on behalf of the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia. Our Administration has now completed one and a half years in office, and I am
glad to say that we have made huge strides in security- sector reform and in our political and economic transformation. We are, however, mindful of the enormous challenges that we face in fixing Somalia, and especially in overcoming the threats of terrorism.
I am equally mindful of the huge  expectations that our people have for our President’s leadership and his ability to provide lasting solutions to our security challenges. It is for that reason that our President, His Excellency Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, recently spent six weeks at our defence headquarters and time at various defence positions, giving directions and providing on-the-ground approvals at forward operating bases.
We have initiated a new round of operations that have successfully opened up road networks and supply routes and thereby have liberated towns and villages from occupation by Al-Shabaab terrorists. We recognize that providing lasting solutions to the challenge of security is an immense undertaking that needs a multifaceted approach. While we and our partners are taking out and dismantling all the terrorists’ hideouts by military means, we are also engaging our religious leaders, elders, young people, women and civil-society groups so that we can turn the tide against the twisted ideology of hate and religious intolerance.
The silver lining is that young men and women are not voluntarily joining Al-Shabaab. That ideology is no longer popular, and Al-Shabaab and Al-Qaida no longer have a ready stream of new and volunteer recruits in Somalia. It is also important to note that some within their ranks, mostly young men and women, have heeded our amnesty offer, renounced violence and peacefully surrendered. Senior commanders, former sector heads and infantrymen have  unconditionally  surrendered  as well, bringing with them their arsenals and their non-standard tactical vehicles, known in military terms as “technicals”. The combination of those factors has further weakened the terror network’s logistical and planning capabilities.
Al-Shabaab now largely exists as an amorphous network operating as an irregular outfit that plans terror attacks from the shadows, but not as a strong insurgent force that can sustain resistance. We are now engaged in creating civil networks aimed at encouraging a healthy partnership between law enforcement and communities that can flush out terrorist  remnants. Our people acknowledge that sustaining security is a

collective responsibility, and in turn that awareness has helped us establish effective policing models that involve the public.
Our quest for a peaceful and stable Somalia will not end when Al-Shabaab is defeated, but that is the first step. Our comprehensive security-sector reform is our basis for developing capacity, streamlining, strategizing and implementing a practical transition that envisions an effective security force and stable security institutions.
We recognize that promoting justice, respecting the rule of law and protecting peoples’ rights are key components in peace-building. That  quest  includes an organized, gradual and systematic transfer of security tasks to appropriate forces,  as  agreed  in  our national security architecture, while at the same time establishing political and economic measures to support and sustain the transition at the federal, state and community levels.
On behalf of the people of Somalia, I want to say unequivocally that we are truly grateful to the brave men and women who have served and continue to serve in the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). They have made huge sacrifices to keep our people safe, and that will never be forgotten. We remain in their debt.
In order to consolidate our collective security gains and further support our Somali security institutions  so that we can take over from AMISOM, I call on the United Nations to lift the long-standing arms embargo on Somalia, which is now preventing us from levelling the field in our battle with terrorist groups. When our fighting arsenal is only equal to the enemy’s, the odds are split. A stronger fighting capacity would give us the upper hand and enable us to entirely dismantle the terrorists, and possibly in a shorter time.
Our Administration’s foremost objective is expanding the democratic space available to our people. It should be considered sacrosanct that every Somali should enjoy the inalienable rights to life, freedom and protection enshrined in our provisional Constitution, including freedom of the press, freedom of association and even the freedom to petition the Government for the redress of grievances. That is why we are winning the fight against terrorists. Our people have been suppressed and subjugated for a long time by terrorist networks, and those freedoms and protections mean a lot to them. Individually and collectively, our people
and communities recognize that it is the responsibility of their Government to protect their liberties. Our people also appreciate the fact that for the Government to do so, we must all  operate  within  the  terms  of our Constitution.
One of our core values is protecting, supporting and providing a platform for minority groups and communities and those with special needs. Our people acknowledge that for our system of governance to be effective, the rule of law must reign supreme. Only then can we attain the vision of a prosperous Somalia. As we mark 18 years since the rebirth of our Republic in Arta, Djibouti, our quest for an inclusive, reformed political system is now on the right track. We have an agreed election model, adopted jointly by the central Government and the federal member states in Baidoa in June and endorsed by the international community in Brussels during the Somalia Partnership Forum in July. We  note that it  is the election period for  some  of the federal member states. Our role, as the central Government, will be to promote transparent, free and fair processes.
We have set specific goals with regard to economic development and have established  frameworks  for key deliverables in attaining our goals for sustainable productivity in the areas  of  agriculture,  fisheries  and livestock. Somalia enjoys the double blessing of    a strategic location in the Horn of Africa and a vast wealth of natural resources. Significant oil reserves, natural gas, iron ore and arable and productive land,  as well as Africa’s second-longest coastline after the island of Madagascar, provide enormous opportunities for sustainable output.
My Government’s objective is to tap into those opportunities, transform our economy, streamline our trade and investment policies, and open up new trade routes and horizons for our people. In that regard, we are seeking to strengthen alliances with our core partners so as to promote trade and investment opportunities, even as we widen our scope in our quest for broader, far-reaching economic cooperation. We seek to strengthen strategic partnerships with our neighbours, the continent and the world, where we share mutual interests in economic development, security  and social cooperation.
One of our Government’s key priorities is promoting sustainable fiscal policies aimed at growing our economy and instilling the discipline required

to maintain it. Somalia is committed to working purposefully for financial self-sufficiency and the achievement of the crucial Sustainable Development Goals. Through the International Monetary Fund’s staff-monitored programme, we have raised domestic revenue to unprecedented levels, and we are in the process of normalizing relations with international financial institutions through continuing dialogue and meaningful engagement. Those efforts are edging us closer to debt relief.
Somalia is committed to boosting economic integration and free trade flows across the region. The Horn of Africa is undergoing a remarkable political and economic transformation. Somalia is  proud  to  be playing a leading role in the quest for the region’s economic integration and to be serving as a mediator in the effort to end the decades-long conflicts that have dogged the region. We are pleased to be contributing towards realizing the African Union’s goal of silencing the guns by 2020.
A new dawn of leadership is at  hand in the Horn of Africa. A stronger desire to bolster historical ties for shared interests represents a means for effective cooperation among the countries of the region. In order to achieve our common goal of economic  progress and prosperity for the Horn of Africa, I humbly call  on the United Nations to lift all economic sanctions on our neighbour, Eritrea. Such a move would improve the flow of imports and exports and the movement of people and businesses, and it would fulfil our vision for the successful economic integration of the region.
There is evidence everywhere that Africa is moving towards greater connectivity and prosperity. East Africa is becoming the continent’s fastest-growing region as Africa becomes the world’s largest  free trade area. It is time for us to focus on and encourage intra-African investment. Somalia, with its resource potential, is committed to moving with the continent. We have recently joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa trade bloc, and we have also applied for membership in a number of other trade and economic blocs.
It is only by expanding the prospects for open markets, free trade, investments and policies that ease the movement of people and businesses between the countries of Africa that we can bring about solutions to the domestic, economic and social challenges that we face, as we work towards realizing the African
Union’s Agenda 2063. We need to formulate joint policies that provide lasting solutions to the problem of illegal immigration and that expand our scope and vision for economic and social progress, which in turn will help to create jobs and opportunities for our young people, provide meaningful employment and improve the quality of education. It can no longer be business as usual when, year in and year out, we are losing hundreds of productive young men and women to the Mediterranean, ostensibly in search of better living prospects. It is ironic that this is happening as the world is focusing on Africa for its resources, markets and labour.
I am hopeful that better days and better prospects lie ahead for all of us. For Somalia, it is the beginning of a transformation. We have risen anew and afresh. We are not only optimistic but also motivated, as our security is improving, our economy is on an upward trend and our foreign policy has already received accolades in the region and beyond. We  are focused on keeping pace with the ever-changing economic and technological dynamics of today, and we are embracing new ideas. As such, we are open to all investments, and we are ready to do business.