It is my honour and pleasure at the outset of
this brief statement to welcome and congratulate the
Republic of South Sudan upon its accession to
membership in the United Nations and for its
participation for the first time in the work of the
General Assembly.
 I am also happy to warmly congratulate
Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser on his election to the
presidency of the Assembly at its sixty-sixth session.
Allow me to express our full confidence in him as he
undertakes the exceptional efforts required to
strengthen the progress achieved to date in terms of
international peace and security, taking into account
the need to preserve the well-being, stability and
progress of our world. I pay tribute to the effectiveness
of Qatari diplomacy and its important role in
strengthening international peace and security.
 I also pay tribute to the valuable efforts made by
Mr. Al-Nasser’s predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, who
upheld the principles of dialogue and consultation in
order to reach the best solutions on international issues.
I also warmly congratulate Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon on his reappointment to head the
Organization and wish him full success. I commend his
persistent Herculean efforts to resolve many issues,
including strengthening international peace and
security, achieving the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), combating climate change and mitigating the
threats of famine and endemic disease, as well as all of
the challenges that hinder the well-being of humanity.
 The sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly
is taking place at a sensitive political juncture in our
region. The popular uprisings in many Arab countries
have led to revolutions calling for democracy, justice,
freedom and decent living conditions. My country was
at the forefront of meeting these demands and
aspirations. Over the past few years, we have
experienced radical change in the form of a peaceful
and flexible transition from a totalitarian regime that
had suppressed freedoms and emptied the public
coffers to a democratic system and credible institutions
that have consolidated the rule of law and guaranteed
individual and collective freedoms and the rights of all
sectors of Mauritanian society, based on justice and the
rule of law.
 Those measures have included the organization of
free, fair and transparent presidential elections that
were monitored by international observers and even
endorsed by their opponents. Our country has also

11-51670 2

begun enjoying a sincere political openness at all levels
of society. A few days ago, we launched a genuine
national political dialogue open to all of the country’s
political parties. In addition, media airwaves have been
freed and licences issued to 10 radio and television
stations to begin broadcasting in the near future.
 In the context of good governance, my country
has enshrined transparency in its administration and its
strengthened and independent judiciary. We have
achieved remarkable levels of growth through
ambitious programmes to improve our population’s
standard of living. These programmes focus first and
foremost on the most vulnerable sectors of society —
low-income citizens and those living in poor
neighbourhoods and isolated rural areas — allowing
my country to achieve a stable domestic situation that
will in turn foster efforts in our young, effective
diplomacy.
 We are a member of the African Union Peace and
Security Council and chair the Good Offices
Commission, established to bring together opposition
parties in Libya and Côte d’Ivoire. We are fully
convinced that dialogue and mediation are the best
ways to resolve conflict and address crises, as
indicated in the theme of the general debate of this
sixty-sixth session.
 Since the election of His Excellency
Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz as President, we have
endeavoured to strengthen our presence within regional
and international organizations, including the United
Nations and its various specialized bodies, the Arab
Maghreb Union, the League of Arab States, the African
Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and
the Non-Aligned Movement, to name a few. We have
also joined regional African and Caribbean groups to
show support for their systems and decisions and as
part of our strategy to broaden our principled foreign
policy.
 In that context, we reiterate our support for
efforts to reform the United Nations and its various
bodies, including the Security Council. We ask that
Africa be given permanent representation, as it is the
only continent that has lacked a permanent seat on the
Security Council since the establishment of the United
Nations. Our continent has 1 billion inhabitants and
hosts more than two-thirds of United Nations
peacekeeping operations. We also call for permanent
representation for the Group of Arab States, whose
population makes up more than 11 per cent of the
world’s inhabitants.
 Consultations on Security Council reform have
been ongoing for many years, and we call for
continued consultations in order to achieve a
comprehensive platform, supported unanimously by
Member States, for reform of the United Nations and
its working methods and decision-making processes. In
that regard, my country believes that we should begin
with the make-up of the Security Council, the
definition of its competence and responsibilities, and
institutional relations between the Council and the
General Assembly in order to ensure the Organization’s
effectiveness and to fairly and accurately reflect, in a
balanced manner, the will of the entire international
community.
 In that context, I remind the Assembly that
Mauritania is a candidate for a non-permanent seat on
the Security Council for the biennium 2012-2013,
representing the Group of African States. Support for
our candidacy was expressed by our continental
organization, the African Union, at its Addis Ababa
summit in January and Malabo summit in June. It also
supports our conviction and profound belief in the
mission and principles of the United Nations and our
sincere will to effectively contribute to the
maintenance of international peace and security, play a
positive role in the Security Council, and assume
greater responsibilities in order to attain the noble
objectives for which this Organization was created.
 I note that Mauritania has adopted a policy of
peaceful coexistence and good-neighbourly relations
with the countries of its region. It is not party to any
conflict and enjoys excellent and friendly relations
with all countries of the world. I take this opportunity
to sincerely thank all of the friendly, kindred States that
have supported our candidacy.
 We note with deep satisfaction the gargantuan
efforts made during the sixty-fifth session, including
the High-level Meeting on Youth and the High-level
Plenary Meeting on the MDGs and the need to
implement them. Nevertheless, we note and deplore the
fact that the populations of most States continue to live
in dire economic conditions that are not conducive to
the achievement of the MDGs.
 In that context, allow me to recall the steep rise in
unemployment, especially among young people; the
increased rate of abject poverty, especially in the most

3 11-51670

vulnerable sectors of society; the decelerated growth in
gross domestic product; the global recession; decreased
official foreign investment, especially in Africa; the
volatility of basic commodity prices, which has had
devastating effects on the buying power of large
sectors of the populations of developing countries;
reduced net transfers to developing countries;
decreased tourist revenue; increased maternal and
newborn death rates; and the increased debt burden.
 This latter issue is already a terrible economic
burden on developing countries, and leads to the
emptying of public coffers that are modest to begin
with, especially in the light of their infrastructure and
public service needs. In such economic conditions, the
economies of the least developed countries face many
enormous obstacles, making it increasingly difficult to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals. As we
approach the deadline for achieving the MDGs, many
developing countries remain far from doing so.
 We call on wealthy developed States to
contribute, in accordance with their promises, to the
revival of these least developed countries so that they
can provide acceptable levels of public services and
guarantee civil peace, security and stability, and to
strengthen the social fabric of these countries, which in
turn will contribute to international peace and security.
 Non-communicable diseases are another
important public health issue. The extent of the spread
of these diseases is truly catastrophic, and mortality
rates are higher than those of all other diseases.
Furthermore, their effects on health and the social and
economic fields are a further obstacle to the attainment
of the MDGs, especially Goals 4 and 5 relative to
maternal and child health, which are closely linked to
non-communicable diseases. This is especially true
because malnutrition in pregnancy and early childhood
is the source of hypertension and diabetes later in life.
 This is why I note with satisfaction that my
country has risen to the challenge posed by these
diseases by establishing extensive health infrastructure
and strengthening the human resources available to
deal with such diseases. We have also built a
specialized oncology hospital with the latest
technology, a modern hospital for cardiovascular
disease, a diabetes treatment centre and over 50 dialysis
centres. All of these have been established in record
time, less than two years since the accession to power
of Mr. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz following the
presidential elections of 18 July 2009.
 Our country is closely following the situation in
the Western Sahara. We reaffirm our support for the
efforts of the Secretary-General and his Special
Representative to reach a comprehensive, lasting and
just solution that enjoys the support of both countries,
in order to strengthen peace and security in the area
and to create an Arab Maghreb that is open to progress
and development and responds to the aspirations of its
peoples. This is a strategic option for my country.
 I believe that the Israeli-Arab conflict is a source
of tension and a threat to peace and security in a
sensitive and vital region of the world. My country
supports efforts for peace that will guarantee the
recovery of all the rights of the Palestinian people and
the creation of an independent Palestinian State within
the 4 June 1967 borders, with its capital in Jerusalem,
coexisting in peace and security with the State of
Israel.
 This is why the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
calls on the international community to recognize
Palestine as an independent sovereign State and to
facilitate its full membership of the United Nations on
the basis of the request made last week by
Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, Executive Secretary of the
Palestine Liberation Organization and President of the
Palestinian Authority. We must be faithful to the
historic responsibilities of the international community
towards Palestine; uphold justice, credibility and
fairness with regard to this question; and ensure respect
for the relevant resolutions of international legitimacy.
We condemn the ongoing blockade of the Gaza Strip
and the acts committed by the Israeli military machine,
killing civilians and destroying Palestinian facilities.
 We call for concerted Arab, regional and
international efforts to assist our Libyan brothers and
sisters. We seek an end to the killings and a response to
the legitimate aspirations to reform and change of our
kindred people of Libya in order to guarantee their
sovereignty and territorial integrity. We call on the
international community to support the Libyan people
and provide for all their needs in various areas so as to
ensure the success of the transitional phase.
 We also call on the international community to
intensify and accelerate the international response to
the tragic humanitarian situation resulting from the
acute drought in the Horn of Africa. Speedy assistance

11-51670 4

must be provided to the hundreds of thousands of
Somalis citizens who have been forced to become
refugees and are enduring tragic living and security
conditions. Although our means are modest, we have
provided assistance in the amount of $1 million to
support the efforts of the African Union on behalf of
the people of Somalia.
 For many years now, our region, the African
Sahel, has been the stage for the expansion of
organized crime networks that traffic in drugs,
weapons, ammunition and human beings, and are
responsible for illegal migration flows across the area,
kidnappings, abductions and terrorism. They pose a
real threat to the peace and stability of our region.
 We are convinced that there is a direct and close
relationship between peace, development and
democracy. For this reason, we believe that peace and
security are preconditions to achieving development
and democracy and to strengthening the rule of law
institutions. We have adopted laws, prepared plans and
taken steps to guarantee peace, security and safety for
our citizens and foreign citizens living legally in
Mauritania. Our security system has responded firmly
and courageously to the threats of criminal terrorist
groups against our security and that of our guests. We
have succeeded in guaranteeing peace within our
borders and security at border points, as attested to by
all. We work in full understanding and coordination
with Algeria, Mali and Niger to suppress the activities
and free movement of these criminal terrorist groups.
 The culture of peace, the ideals of tolerance
among nations and civilizations, and upholding justice
and law among peoples are the best ways to advance
on the road to peace and security in our world.
However, when issues remain pending for years; when
there is a growing gap between rich and poor; when
international economic institutions are fragile and
weak; and when justice, fairness and equality are so
slow to be provided, tensions will increase and
extremism and terrorism spread. We in Mauritania
reject terrorism in every form, and we adhere to the
peaceful principles of Islam — principles of tolerance
and brotherhood that reject violence and extremism.
We believe that the international community should
consider seriously why terrorism exists and root it out
vigorously.
 The international community must honour the
commitments it has made since the Organization was
established, but it can do so only if all the States and
peoples of the world are able to benefit from available
potential and resources and if development efforts in
developing countries are supported so that people can
live in dignity, freedom and equality. That is the only
way we can achieve the noble goals that this
Organization set for itself when it was created.


I begin
by congratulating the President on his election to
preside over this principal organ in which we all strive
to achieve the purposes of the United Nations.
 I also wish the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, the greatest possible success in carrying out
his mission of promoting peace and progress around
the world with the same effectiveness as he
demonstrated throughout his first mandate.
 I also warmly congratulate the representatives of
the new State of South Sudan, which has joined the
United Nations family during the current session.
 The economic and financial crisis continues to be
a cause of serious concern for the entire world; its
consequences are seen in many different fields. The
capacity of the international community to take action
to address any type of crisis, and to do so in a timely
manner, is limited. This restrains the fight against
poverty and puts at risk the implementation of
sustainable development policies, which are needed
now more than ever.
 Spain, together with its European Union partners,
is taking difficult decisions in order to tackle the crisis.
However, beyond the actions taken at the regional and
national levels, it is essential to undertake a

11-51378 12

coordinated global response. The United Nations
system is an important part of the solution to the crisis.
 Women’s equality is a fundamental human right,
based upon the concept of equality among all human
beings. Advancing women’s full and equal access to
the labour market, as well as to the political and social
world, is not only ethically imperative, but an essential
measure to overcome the crisis.
 Since 1 January, the United Nations has been able
to count on an instrument to assist Member States to
achieve that goal: UN-Women. Its Executive Director,
Ms. Michelle Bachelet, will boost this effort. I assure
her of Spain’s full support. We will be at the side of all
women who fight for freedom and equality.
 Over the past few months we have witnessed
episodes of rebellion in which peoples have fought
against the tyranny of rulers who denied basic human
rights, as well as the dignity and value of human
beings, preventing people from participating in their
countries’ political life and from making use of their
resources and opportunities.
 We celebrate the success of the popular
movements in Tunisia and Egypt and we join the
efforts of the international community to support and
strengthen the political transition processes in both
countries, led by their own peoples.
 The Libyan people will also be able to enjoy
freedom and live in democracy after decades of
dictatorship and months of conflict. We have welcomed
the Libyan representatives in the General Assembly,
with the satisfaction of knowing that the United
Nations, by implementing its principles, has remained
at the side of the Libyan people.
 We now have the obligation to continue to help
the Libyan people in the reconciliation and
reconstruction processes. We are ready to do so, and
we will do it under the guidance of the United Nations,
following the pace set by the Libyans themselves.
 Unfortunately, the international community
continues to witness with indignation the brutal
repression of civilian demonstrators by the Syrian
authorities. I firmly condemn those actions once again,
and reiterate the need for the international community
to take measures to stop the repression.
 The Tunisian, Egyptian and Libyan revolutions,
the Syrian uprising and the acceleration of the reform
processes in Morocco and Jordan are part of a
profound transformation of the Arab world, with
significant consequences for the region and for the
international community as a whole. The legitimate
aspiration of the Palestinian people to enjoy freedom
cannot be left out of this wave of change.
 The Arab-Israeli conflict has been with the
United Nations almost since the Organization’s
founding. This session may be remembered as the one
in which the General Assembly granted Palestine the
status of observer State. Spain could support such a
decision, for a number of reasons.
 First, the international community recognizes that
a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict requires the
existence of two States, Israeli and Palestinian, living
side by side in peace and security.
 Secondly, after more than 60 years of conflict, the
international community should send a clear signal to
the Palestinians underlining that its commitment in
favour of the creation of the Palestinian State is deep
and unambiguous.
 Thirdly, in the year in which the Arab Spring
changed realities in the Arab world — and, indeed, in
the world at large — the just, legitimate and long-
standing aspiration of the Palestinians to live in dignity
in their own State, free from occupation and its
accompanying suffering, deserves a clear response
from the international community, a response that can
no longer be postponed.
 This new step could be conceived as a stage
towards the legitimate objective of Palestine’s
becoming a Member State of the United Nations with
full rights.
 Effective, sustainable peace can only be achieved
through negotiations between the parties. Spain
believes that the Palestinians could find in this new
status a stimulus for the prompt resumption of
negotiations. Precisely because that is the shared goal
of the parties and the international community, such a
situation should not be used for actions incompatible
with the spirit of negotiations. Israel should also
contribute to this spirit by refraining from measures
that prejudge the final status.
 Spain is coordinating its position with its
European Union partners. I am grateful for the efforts
of the High Representative, Catherine Ashton, to
reactivate the negotiations, in a way acceptable to all

13 11-51378

European Union member States, and the declaration of
the Quartet, which Spain assesses very positively.
 Spain’s engagement with the Palestinian people
and their struggle against occupation is long-standing
and known to everyone. Spain has always given
political, economic and moral support to the legitimate
aspirations of the Palestinians.
 On the other hand, the historical relations
between Spain and the Jewish people date back many
centuries. Spain’s historical identity cannot be
understood without its Arab and Jewish heritage.
 I wish to underscore Spain’s commitment to
Israel with regard to the endeavour to create a
homeland for the Jewish people. Since its founding,
Israel has experienced a number of wars and has
suffered from terrorism against its civilian population.
For Spain, the security of this young State born out of
an ancient people is essential.
 The best way to preserve that State is through a
peace treaty that, among other things, provides for the
establishment of a Palestinian State along the 1967
lines, with agreed swaps and with Jerusalem as a
shared capital. The security of Israel and Palestine will
require effective guarantees in the future peace
agreement, including possible international participation,
should the parties request it.
 The future peace agreement should look to the
future, turning its back on the painful years of conflict.
Therefore, Israel and Palestine have to be certain that
claims originating from the conflict will be overcome
with their signature of the peace agreement.
  In addition, the solution to the painful tragedy of
the Palestinian refugees must be a just one agreed by
all the parties concerned, while allowing the
preservation of Israel’s current character. The
Palestinian State will be, in this regard as well, a key
element for the final resolution of the conflict.
 Some voices have raised concerns that the new
democracies may be home to political groups with
radical or extremist ideologies. Democracy is an open
and fair system of political participation that must also
be able to defend itself against possible threats.
 Fortunately, we can count on instruments that
may contribute to preventing such situations. The
United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which
promotes intercultural dialogue and cooperation, is a
clear example. The Regional Strategy for the
Mediterranean, developed within the Alliance
framework, may help, through youth programmes and
campaigns to raise awareness, to diffuse democratic
values and respect for human rights, always in
coexistence with those of local cultures.
 We have to prevent Al-Qaida’s terrorism from
being reinforced in the Sahel region through the release
of uncontrolled weapons. The international community
must be united in the fight against this curse that
represents a scourge to countries such as Afghanistan
and Pakistan, in the same irrational and cruel way as
that in which it struck New York, Bali, Madrid,
London, Mumbai, Moscow and many other places over
the past decade.
 The United Nations itself recently suffered the
consequences of a terrible terrorist attack in Abuja,
adding to those previously endured in Baghdad and
Algiers, among others. Once again, I extend our
condolences to the Secretary-General, and express our
solidarity with the victims and their families, as well as
with the hard-working members of staff of the United
Nations.
 The tenth anniversary of the attack on the Twin
Towers in the city of New York took place a few days
ago. We have lived through a bloody decade since the
attack, in spite of the determined fight of the
international community against terrorism.
 I firmly believe in, and reaffirm, the need to
strengthen international cooperation in order to prevent
and fight terrorism. Every country must assume the
obligation to address this universal scourge. That is
why Spain joined, from the beginning, the initiative
regarding the Global Counterterrorism Forum. The
Forum was launched just a few days ago.
 We firmly support United Nations initiatives
within the framework of its Global Counter-Terrorism
Strategy, as well as the efforts of the Security Council
and of the Secretariat to rationalize the existing
structures in order to reach the goals that we have set
in this area.
 Spain is especially sensitive with regard to the
victims of terrorism. Unfairly forgotten at times, they
cannot be mentioned only as a rhetoric tool. Rather,
there should be an effective commitment to give them
recognition, remember them and provide them the
assistance and support that they deserve. That is how

11-51378 14

we have understood the position of victims in Spain,
and we have passed legislation on the issue, giving us
one of the most advanced and efficient models in the
world in assisting the victims of terrorism.
 Spain follows very closely the dynamism of a
region with strong links with Spain — Latin America.
The strength of the Latin American economy is
essential to overcome the crisis and to create a new
international economic governance.
 That is why enhancing and consolidating a broad
dialogue with Latin America is crucial. The dialogue
should include the big issues on the global agenda,
such as the design of an ambitious and innovative
international financial architecture, as well as the
response to climate change, energy, security and
migration.
 Latin America’s regional integration has been an
engine fuelling its growth and improving
understanding. Spain has always wished to support this
process in the framework of the Ibero-American
Summits.
 Other regions of the world also deserve special
attention because of the tragic situations of their
populations as a result of drought and other endemic
problems.
 The situation in the Horn of Africa is intolerable.
We are contributing to alleviating the famine in
Somalia, in coordination with other donors and United
Nations agencies. However, humanitarian aid, despite
being a priority, is only a first step towards
development. We still have a long way to go in many
parts of the world.
 I therefore reaffirm Spain’s commitment to the
Millennium Development Goals. The fight against
poverty is a fundamental objective of my country’s aid
and cooperation for development policy. The challenge
of the Millennium Development Goals should
encourage us to redouble our efforts to achieve them
within the deadline that has been set.
 However, in order to realize the Goals and to
provide a future for generations to come, we must
make the most of meetings such as the one to be held
in Rio de Janeiro in 2012, where the intention is to
forge a new paradigm that should allow us to combine
the Millennium Development Goals with environmental
sustainability.
 It is also important to take advantage of the
momentum created by the Cancún Conference in 2010
on the climate change negotiating process. We will
continue to contribute to the process constructively,
together with our European Union partners, at the
upcoming Durban Conference.
 The financial crisis affecting the global economy
cannot be an excuse to avoid our commitments. On the
contrary, it should encourage us to fulfil them. That is
why Spain believes in supporting the development of
innovative financing instruments — in other words, the
development of mechanisms through which to mobilize
mid-term and long-term additional financial resources.
That should be done in a way that is stable and
predictable, as well as being complementary to official
development aid, which should be maintained, come
what may. Spain currently chairs the leading Pilot
Group on innovative financing for development, of
which we have great hopes.
 Spain’s support for, and participation in, the
activities of the Organization relating to the
maintenance of peace and security in diverse parts of
the world also demonstrates our commitment to the
achievement of the purposes of the United Nations.
Almost 1,200 Spaniards actively participate today in
United Nations peacekeeping operations, with an
especially prominent presence in the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon, a mission essential to
maintaining stability in the south of the country, as
well as to helping its economic development.
 I thank the Secretary-General for participating in
the inauguration of the United Nations base in Quart de
Poblet, Valencia, thus recognizing Spain’s commitment
to the United Nations. The construction of the base,
which Spain provided to the United Nations, will, as
the Secretary-General said, facilitate the work of the
Organization, enhance the reliability of its
communications and considerably improve the safety
and security of staff in the field.
 Spain is very proud of its participation in United
Nations operations. We intend to maintain a firm,
active, permanent commitment to the Organization and
its purposes. In line with that commitment, Spain
announced in 2005 its candidature for a non-permanent
seat on the Security Council for the biennium 2015-
2016. We hope that, with the support of Member
States, we shall have a seat on the Council and in that
position continue working for the preservation of

15 11-51378

international security and stability. At the same time,
we will strive to promote development and human
rights as fundamental pillars of lasting peace.
 A year ago, Libyan, Egyptian and Tunisian men
and women witnessed the Assembly meeting while
they were still under the oppression of dictatorial
regimes. Today they own their future. They have
fought for it. The international community has
protected and supported them. They, on their part, have
given us hope. We can now hope that change is
possible. There is no insurmountable challenge.
 We are today certain that the international
community, guided by the United Nations, is on the
path of peace and freedom.


Allow me to congratulate you,
Sir, on your election to the very important post of the
highest representative of the General Assembly at its
sixty-sixth session.
 A few days ago New York City and the entire
world remembered the tenth anniversary of the tragic
events of 11 September. I should like to use this
opportunity to pay homage to all the victims and to the
firefighters and other rescue workers who died in
connection with the 2001 attacks. We should not forget
them.
 The main topic suggested for the sixty-sixth
session — the mediation of disputes by peaceful
means — is at the very core of the United Nations
Charter, and I can assure members it is also at the core
of the foreign policy principles of the country I have
the privilege to represent, the Czech Republic. Nineteen years ago the dissolution of
Czechoslovakia was negotiated peacefully from within,
without any need for external mediation. Our
experience tells us that if a solution to any country’s
aspirations to sovereignty and freedom, or a solution to
a dispute among countries, is to be lasting and
acceptable for the citizens of those countries, that
solution must primarily come from within the region
itself and from the negotiations of the countries
concerned. In the same spirit, the Czech Republic is
convinced, with regard to the most important issue of
this session of the General Assembly, that it is
necessary for the two sides in the Israeli-Palestinian
dispute to find a way forward themselves.
 I agree with President Obama that there is no
shortcut to ending a conflict that has endured for
decades. It requires that both sides take an innovative
approach and overcome some old, inflexible and rigid
schemes of thought. It requires both sides to negotiate
and to find a balanced solution that will last. Such a
solution cannot come through unilateral steps, neither
those forced by the United Nations nor the steps taken
by one side of the dispute only.
 The Czech Republic successfully completed the
transition from communism to democracy, and, based
on that experience, we wish the countries of North
Africa to make progress in the same direction. We
know it is not an easy path. To remove several leading
politicians is not the crucial aspect of the much-needed
systemic change.
 When the Iron Curtain fell in Europe more than
20 years ago, I used to talk about three mutually
interconnected preconditions for successful
transformation: a clear and transparent concept of
where to go, a feasible strategy how to get there, and to
be able to motivate the citizens of the country to

11-51185 8

promote it. I still do not see these preconditions in
some of the countries of North Africa.
 By saying that, I want to stress that the systemic
change cannot be agreed upon or prearranged at
international conferences. It cannot be mediated or
passively acquired as a foreign investment. It is a
domestic task and a sequence of policies, not a once-
for-all policy change.
 There is something we can do, however. We can
and should increase our efforts to cooperate with the
countries of North Africa. We should not forget that
there is a complementarity between freedom and trade.
Our relations — and now I speak especially about us,
the European Union member States — with the
countries of North Africa should be based on free
trade, which means on trade with a minimum of
regulation and arbitrary standards. Prosperity in the
countries of North Africa is a guarantee of stability and
is also a precondition for preventing growing migration
to the countries in Southern and Western Europe.
 I should also like to mention another issue that I
see as crucial, that of nuclear energy. I welcome the
fact that the Secretary-General called for a special
meeting on this topic. The Czech Republic pays the
highest possible attention to nuclear safety and security
and supports the further development of nuclear
energy.
 What happened in Japan in March this year was a
serious natural catastrophe, and there are certainly
lessons to be learned from it. The main lesson is
obvious. Even coastal locations, which are seen as
seismically stable for urban planning, can be affected
by earthquakes far away under the sea. Nuclear power
plants should be built in locations that are the least
prone to damage by natural disasters. Yet after the
tsunami hit the Fukushima power plant, some
Governments decided not to build new nuclear power
plants and some even to abandon nuclear energy as
such.
 Speaking for the Czech Republic, we consider
that what happened in Fukushima did not by any means
question the arguments for nuclear energy. These
arguments are strong, economically rational and
convincing. Nuclear power is a stable, legitimate and,
in some countries, irreplaceable source of energy
today.
 Let me conclude by saying that the Czech
Republic continues to support the much-needed reform
of the Security Council. The world has changed
considerably since the United Nations Charter was
signed. New countries must take greater responsibility
for this Organization and for its financing.
 This year the Czech Republic holds the
presidency of the Executive Board of the United
Nations Development Programme, which supports
projects in 177 countries. We support that Programme
but want to stress that in order for developing countries
to develop, all kinds of unnecessary barriers, standards,
regulations and other constraints in the developed
world must first be removed.
 I wish the President every success in his office
and assure him that the Czech Republic will continue
to be an active Member of the United Nations.


Nearly 66 years ago, in
1946, one of my predecessors was privileged to
represent Canada at the first session of the General
Assembly. It is an honour to follow in those footsteps
and to renew Canada’s commitment to the founding
principles of the United Nations, namely, to maintain
international peace and security; to prevent and
remove threats to peace; to suppress acts of aggression;
to respect the principle of equal rights and the self-
determination of peoples; to strengthen universal
peace; and to promote and encourage respect for
human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. This
Hall symbolizes the promise of humankind and what
we can accomplish by working together to uphold
those founding principles.
 Yet, only a short distance from here is an entirely
different symbol - ground zero. The date 9/11 was a
stark reminder that evil exists, that life is fragile, that
freedom has enemies, and that the poison of radical
terrorism is all too real. It serves as a reminder that, as
far as humankind has advanced, threats to peace,
security and human dignity remain.
 In that context, I wish to share reflections on
three areas: first, the principles that motivate Canada’s
approach to foreign policy; secondly, the basis for
Canada’s support of multilateral organizations and
multilateral action; and thirdly, a way forward for the
United Nations.
 The founding principles of these United Nations
are more than mere words. It is our duty to pull them
from the printed page, to breathe life into them and to
practise them every day. In everyday practice, it is not
easy to uphold principles. It requires struggle and
sacrifice. Some pay the ultimate price.
 The world remembers Secretary-General Dag
Hammarskjöld, who was killed 50 years ago this
month. We honour him for his integrity, his principles
and for his great courage in confronting power. We also
remember that it was Canada’s Prime Minister, John
Diefenbaker, who, just a year earlier, stood at this very

11-51390 30

rostrum to respond to unjust attacks against him.
Canada did not hesitate to defend the Office and the
person of the Secretary-General.
 That is the Canadian tradition — standing for
what is principled and just, regardless of whether it is
popular, convenient or expedient. Over the past
century, the world was infected by a lethal combination
of utopian ideology and brutal despotism that spawned
totalitarian regimes that enslaved their own peoples.
Apologists tried to persuade us that the ideology of
Communism was benign. Canadians knew better. We
took a stand for freedom and fundamental human
rights. We stood against oppression in Germany and in
Ukraine. We stood with its brave people, and those of
the other captive nations of central and Eastern Europe.
 Canada does not go along in order to get along.
We will go along only if we go in a direction that
advances Canada’s values: freedom, democracy, human
rights and the rule of law. Also, Canada would not go
along to support the farce of a major proliferator of
nuclear arms presiding over the Conference on
Disarmament. When North Korea relinquished the
presidency, we resumed our engagement in the
Conference. Canada’s tough economic sanctions
against that rogue regime remain in place, and we
continue to advocate and advance reform in how the
President of that important body is selected.
 We would not go along with appeasement of the
former Al-Qadhafi regime, nor would we look the other
way when the Lockerbie mass murderer received a
hero’s welcome and the Colonel’s embrace. We would
not look the other way as the Al-Qadhafi regime,
blatantly disregarding human rights and the rule of law,
waged war on the people of Libya.
 Canada backs our principles with action:
providing military support to NATO’s Operation
Unified Protector; recognizing the National Transitional
Council as Libya’s transitional Government; co-founding
the Libya Contact Group; and giving early, strong and
continuing support to the Libyan people’s struggle
against tyranny.
 Canada would not simply go along or look
elsewhere when the Al-Assad regime started killing
Syrian men, women and children in a despicable and
desperate attempt to cling to power. We imposed tough
sanctions on the regime and its backers.
 Canada will not go along with a double standard
that castigates some United Nations Members for
alleged failings, while ignoring the notorious abuses of
others. We supported the aspirations of those peoples
who sought brighter futures for themselves and their
countries during the Arab spring that has just passed.
 However, we will not go along with the unilateral
actions of the Palestinian Authority. Just a few days
ago, the Quartet laid the foundation for a return to
negotiation. Our Government’s position has been
clear — the only solution to the issue is one that is
negotiated by the two parties themselves. We continue
to encourage both sides to accept those principles and
to return to direct talks, based on a two-State solution,
without delay or precondition.
 We uphold Israel’s right to exist. We uphold its
fundamental right, like any Member State, to defend
innocent civilians against acts of terrorism. Just as
Fascism and Communism were the great struggles of
previous generations, terrorism is the great struggle of
ours. Far too often, the Jewish State is on the front line
in our struggle and its people are the victims of terror.
 Canada will not accept or stay silent while the
Jewish State is attacked for defending its territory and
its citizens. The Second World War taught us all the
tragic price of going along just to get along. It was
accommodation and appeasement that allowed Fascism
to gather strength. As Winston Churchill said, an
appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will
eat him last.
 We respect State sovereignty, but Canada will not
go along or look the other way when a minority is
denied its human rights or fundamental freedoms. It is
our common duty to uphold the rights of the afflicted
and to give a voice to the voiceless.
 As citizens of the global community, we have a
solemn duty to defend the vulnerable, to challenge
aggression and to protect and promote human rights
and human dignity, at home and abroad: women,
Christians, Baha’i and other victims of persecution in
Iran; Roman Catholic priests, other Christian clergy
and their laity, driven to worship underground in
China; Christians being driven out of Iraq by Al-Qaida;
and Copts being assaulted and killed in Egypt. In
Burma, the regime discriminates against several forms
of Buddhism and restricts the activities of Muslims. In
other places, the Ahmadiyya community faces real
violence. Gays and lesbians are threatened with the

31 11-51390

criminalization of their sexuality in Uganda, and other
minorities are subjected to persecution, oppression or
violence. Our nationalities are many but we share one
humanity.
 I am pleased to report that Canada will be
creating an office of religious freedom within our
Government at the heart of my own Department. The
office will promote freedom of religion and of
conscience as key objectives of Canadian foreign
policy. The long history of humankind has proved that
religious freedom and democratic freedom are
inseparable. As Franklin Roosevelt observed on the eve
of global war,
 “[w]here freedom of religion has been attacked,
the attack has come from sources opposed to
democracy. Where democracy has been
overthrown, the spirit of free worship has
disappeared. And where religion and democracy
have vanished, good faith and reason in
international affairs have given way to strident
ambition and brute force”.
 That brings me to Canada’s support of
multilateral institutions and multilateral action. Some
years ago, a former Secretary-General referred to
enlightened multilateralism as the guarantor, not the
enemy, of State sovereignty and the integrity of State.
State sovereignty is not created by multilateral
institutions. Instead, multilateral institutions exist and
derive legitimacy from the independent decisions of
sovereign States.
 Canada’s position in that regard was explained by
our Prime Minister just last year. Referring to
multilateral action to address the world economic
crisis, Stephen Harper said that he saw world
leadership, at its best, as a glimpse of a hopeful future
where we act together for the good of all; the world we
have been trying to build since 1945; the world we
want for our children and for our grandchildren. It can
be done if we act together.
 Enlightened sovereignty, multilateral institutions
and multilateral action result from a collection of
sovereign decisions based on individual States’ own
interests, not narrow self-interest in sovereignty’s
name, but an expanded view of mutual interest in
which there is room for all to grow and for all to
prosper. Canada calls that enlightened sovereignty. It is
the natural extension of enlightened self-interest.
 As Canada’s Prime Minister noted when he
addressed the General Assembly last year, the United
Nations Charter is animated by “the idea that what is
good for others may well be the best way to pursue
one’s own interests” (A/65/PV.11, p. 46) — in other
words, enlightened sovereignty.
 The world knows that we can accomplish great
things by working together. This year, collective action
under United Nations sanction helped to limit the loss
of life in Libya and ultimately ended a criminal,
illegitimate regime’s war on the people whom it
claimed to represent. Canada was tremendously proud
to take part in its demise. Our Royal Canadian Air
Force flew 10 per cent of the total strike sorties against
Al-Qadhafi’s forces and our Royal Canadian Navy
helped enforce the maritime blockade.
 Canada has paid heavily, both in dollar terms and
in a costly human toll, to fulfil our United Nations
obligation to support the lawful Government of
Afghanistan. We used our chairmanship of the Group
of Eight to reach out to leaders from Africa and the
Americas and to secure an agreement to enact the
Muskoka Initiative for maternal, newborn and child
health.
 That progress will help to meet the Millennium
Development Goal of reducing the appalling mortality
among mothers and children in developing countries.
Working with like-minded nations, Canada continues
to make significant financial contributions towards
peace, humanitarian assistance, development aid and
security in the Sudans. Collective action does not mean
uniformity.
 For example, Canada works closely with like-
minded countries to advance human rights and
democracy in Burma. At the same time, we imposed
the toughest sanctions in the world against that
country’s repressive military regime. Similarly, when
Canada placed strong restrictions on Syria’s current
regime, we acted independently, but in close
consultation and cooperation with other nations.
 In the defence of freedom and human rights, form
cannot prevail over substance. The determinant is
which route produces the best results. While
multilateral action should be preferred, failure to
achieve consensus must not prevent the willing from
acting to uphold human rights and the founding
principles of the United Nations.

11-51390 32

 Margaret Thatcher was once reported to have said
that “consensus seems to be the process of abandoning
all beliefs, principles, values and policies. So it is
something in which no one believes”. That leads to my
third topic — the challenges to the relevance and the
effectiveness of this important Organization.
 Canada has been a consistently reliable and
responsible participant in United Nations initiatives
around the world. We are the seventh largest
contributor to United Nations finances. The citizens of
the world deserve that the United Nations abide by the
same principles observed by so many Governments of
Member States: accountability, transparency and
ethics; financial responsibility and fiscal austerity;
efficiency and the elimination of waste and
duplication; regular reviews to sunset unnecessary,
redundant and obsolete mandates; and zero tolerance
for conflicts of interest, fraud and corruption.
 Yet, the challenges faced by this Organization
extend beyond financial probity and operational
effectiveness. This Organization is a forum for debate
and dialogue, but it must also be a force for positive
action to make the world a better place. As a former
Canadian Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker, told this
Assembly during his defence of the world’s persecuted
minorities: “We are not here in this Assembly to win
wars of propaganda. We are here to win victories for
peace.” (A/PV.871, para. 225)
 The relevance and effectiveness of the United
Nations are imperilled when the founding principles
are observed in word but not in deed. Such is the case
when the presidency of the Conference on
Disarmament passes to a regime involved in the illicit
transfers of weapons, material and technology; or when
Iran, which mocks the values of this Organization
through such outrages as refusing to allow entry to

United Nations observers on human rights, is permitted
to seek leadership roles, such as the vice-presidency of
the General Assembly and a seat on the Commission on
Population and Development; or when objection is
taken on petty, procedural or process-based grounds to
reporting that speaks about credible allegations of war
crimes committed in Sri Lanka; or when blatant
violators of women’s rights are welcomed to the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of
Discrimination against Women, often despite
reservations that are incompatible with the object and
purpose of the very Convention.
 Canada has consistently opposed the debasement
of multilateral institutions by conduct that is
inconsistent with their values. For example, this year
marks the fiftieth anniversary of Canada’s principled
refusal to support membership in the Commonwealth
of Nations by South Africa’s then apartheid regime.
 The greatest enemies of the United Nations are
not those who publicly repudiate its actions. The
greatest enemies of the United Nations are those who
quietly undermine its principles or, even worse, who sit
idly, watching its slow decline. We cannot sit idly.
 Canada is a vigorous defender of freedom,
democracy and the rule of law. As our Prime Minister
remarked earlier this month,
 “we are not a country that makes war for gain or
for territory. We do not fight for glory. If we
covet honour, it is only a reputation for doing the
right thing in a good cause”.
 That is all. That is enough. If I may be so bold,
that is why the countries of the world came together in
the United Nations - to do the right thing in a good
cause. The cause is peace, justice, freedom and
opportunity for all.


On behalf of
President Jurelang Zedkaia, I bring warm greetings
from the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the
General Assembly. The Marshall Islands also welcomes
South Sudan as the newest Member of the
Organization.
 The Marshall Islands congratulates the Secretary-
General for making nuclear disarmament and nuclear
safety a top priority at the United Nations during his
second term. Fifty-seven years ago, at the dawn of the
Cold War, the United Nations held the Marshallese
people in trust. Marshallese leaders petitioned the
United Nations to put a halt to the testing of nuclear
weapons. The United Nations responded with
Trusteeship Council resolutions 1082 (XIV), adopted
in 1954, and 1493 (XVII), adopted in 1956. Acting
with assurances of our protection, the United Nations
and its administering authority, the United States,
detonated 67 large-scale nuclear explosions in the
Marshall Islands. For decades, Marshallese leaders
have returned to the United Nations to speak of the
continuing impacts — cancer, fear and continued exile
from our homeland — and of a science where
goalposts are always moving.
 Three weeks ago, the leaders of the Pacific
Islands Forum, in their communiqué, not only
recognized the special responsibility of the United
States of America but also agreed to support the
Marshall Islands at the United Nations, including in
addressing the issue of the Secretary-General’s report.
The United Nations has a clear responsibility to
acknowledge and address the consequences of nuclear
testing undertaken under its watch — and a special
responsibility has already been acknowledged by the
parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of
Nuclear Weapons.
 Last year, the General Assembly requested the
Secretary-General to report on the effects of atomic
radiation in the Marshall Islands. Such a report would
represent the potential for the Marshall Islands, the
United States and the United Nations to take a very
positive step forward towards understanding our past,
bringing closure to this sad chapter in our history and
beginning to understand how the international
community can assist us in addressing future
remediation challenges. The involvement of the United
Nations is key.
 Sadly, I am concerned that the Secretary-General
has thus far neglected this critical opportunity. The
United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of
Atomic Radiation, which was invited to contribute to
the Secretary-General’s efforts to assemble a report,
has termed the General Assembly’s deliberate mandate
to be “not appropriate” and “an apparent error” in need
of formal correction (A/66/46, para. 13).
 That is not only insensitive but it reveals that
perhaps the United Nations itself has yet to come to
terms with, or even to merely acknowledge, its
decisions on nuclear safety taken 60 years ago. That
negative approach could preclude efforts to bring to the
attention of this body important scientific work that has
been done in assessing the consequences of the nuclear
testing in the Marshall Islands.
 It is our hope that United Nations will have the
courage and will to rise above the past and make a
difference, rather than allow itself to remain controlled
by history, and make excuses. As I said earlier, for
decades, Marshallese leaders have returned to the
United Nations to repeatedly speak of the legacy of the
nuclear testing in our country. It is my hope that one
day a new generation of Marshallese leaders will come
to this forum not to speak of this sad legacy, but rather
to proclaim that the work is done and that all is well.
 The impacts of nuclear testing are not the only
historical legacy from international actors in the
Marshall Islands. Unexploded ordnance from the
Second World War and oil leakage are persistent issues
for our outer island communities. They pose threats to
our human security, public health and environmental
safety. We welcome the attention of Pacific Island
Forum leaders, and we join the call for assistance from
international bodies and development partners.
 The Republic of the Marshall Islands is not just a
small island State; we are a large ocean nation.

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Together, the oceanscape of the Pacific islands is an
area that covers 10 per cent of the world’s surface and
is four times the size of Europe. The way we manage
our maritime space is therefore a central pillar in our
basic development aspirations, and has significant
implications for the health of global oceans.
 International commitments to ensure sustainable
fisheries and to visibly advance our development
aspirations can no longer be paid mere lip service and
then later be ignored by our partners in regional
processes, including the Western and Central Pacific
Fisheries Commission. The Marshall Islands presently
only sees a penny of benefit for every dollar of the
market value of our Pacific tuna. The conservation
measures by the parties to the Nauru Agreement,
including the Vessel Day Scheme and high seas
closures, must be implemented by our partners, not
only to reduce pressure on overfished stocks but also to
ensure our rightful place as a full economic actor.
 Twenty years ago, global leaders meeting at Rio
de Janeiro set forward a high international benchmark
for sustainable development, crafting a range of
strategies and commitments. Next year, the critical
United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development must not only focus on moving towards a
global green economy but must also pay specific
attention to a global “blue economy” — one that
ensures specific, measurable and time-bound targets
for guaranteeing the sustainability of the global oceans
and their fish stocks, particularly in regions dotted by
small island States like my own. Greater commitment
is needed to utilize targeted global high seas closures,
thereby ensuring sustainable fisheries, as we are
already doing in the Pacific. The hour is past for vague
rhetoric. Leaders must respond with action rather than
continued neglect for the world’s oceans.
 The Marshall Islands warmly welcomed the visit
this month by the Secretary-General to the Pacific
region. The Secretary-General was able to see for
himself the vulnerability and existential threat facing
low-lying island States. He has now rightfully
challenged world leaders to respond. What were once
theoretical and distant risks are now on the verge of
becoming our reality.
 International climate negotiations are at serious
risk of entering a phase of political stalemate.
Negotiators have spent more than two decades in
complicated processes that have delivered very little in
terms of practical action to mitigate the climate change
problem. Often blocked by only a handful of countries,
the international community is still unable to commit
to emissions cuts and targets sufficient to ensure the
survival of the Marshall Islands and other low-lying
nations.
 The Marshall Islands can wait no longer. We are
now choosing creative paths to drive urgency into our
broken negotiations and to pursue practical initiatives
to address the threats and risks. First, the Marshall
Islands joined with the Government of Mexico in
urging the United Nations in its coming Climate
Change Conference to consider the use of voting as a
means of last resort. Secondly, in July, we joined with
our Pacific small island developing States colleagues to
push for the Security Council to recognize that climate
change now poses an incontrovertible threat to
international peace and security.
 We reiterate our call for the Secretary-General to
report on those threats. Petty arguments about forums
and mandates cannot be allowed to prevail at the risk
of our statehood. All organs of the United Nations must
now be proactively engaged. We do not need
sympathy; we need solutions and political innovation.
 Thirdly, the Marshall Islands is carefully studying
options for clarifying the relevant international
obligations related to climate change and how it affects
our statehood. Working with our close neighbour, the
Republic of Palau, we are committed to pursuing
requests for legal advisory opinions from international
tribunals in order to recognize the international legal
principles that address questions of our survival and
security in the context of climate risks. We have also
agreed to work with Palau and other vulnerable and
low-lying countries to formulate and advance our own
legally binding climate agreement. We, the most
vulnerable, must act when others lack the political will
to do so.
 As a significant global economic leader, Taiwan
can make substantial contributions to the international
community. The Republic of the Marshall Islands
welcomes increased dialogue on key cross-Strait
issues. That progress deserves recognition by the
international community. Given that the primary
purpose of the United Nations is to maintain
international peace, the world cannot afford to
overlook Taiwan’s strong efforts in promoting peace

15 11-51398

and stability in the Asia-Pacific region, including with
regard to climate change.
 The 2009 invitation by the World Health
Organization for Taiwan to participate as an observer
has not only benefited global medical progress,
including on non-communicable diseases, but also
serves as an effective model for its wider participation
in other key organizations. We urge the United Nations
and its Member States to consider that model and
develop effective means for Taiwan’s participation in
specialized agencies, including the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change and the
International Civil Aviation Organization.
 The Security Council must transform itself into
an effective and contemporary body. The Security
Council should be restructured to accommodate those
nations whose size, leadership and responsibility, in
particular the Group of Four — Japan, Germany, India
and Brazil — warrants a permanent presence in the
Council. Further efforts should be made to ensure that
Africa and small nations, including island States, have
improved access and an amplified voice.
 The General Assembly witnessed a historic
moment last week, in which, for the first time, the
general debate was initiated by a woman, namely,
President Rousseff of Brazil. The Marshall Islands
welcomes the Secretary-General’s renewed priority on
addressing gender, including a strengthened
UN-Women institution, particularly in the Pacific.
 The message for nuclear weapons, global security
and climate change is the same: international law is not
an empty promise.


It is my great honour to
address the General Assembly today in my capacity as
the Chair of the Presidency of Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Allow me, at the very outset, to
congratulate Mr. Al-Nasser upon his election as
President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth
session, as well as the members of the Bureau, and to
express our full support for your future work.
Furthermore, I would like to congratulate Mr. Joseph
Deiss on the results achieved when he presided over
the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, in a
period when this body and the international community
in general were facing an array of challenges stemming
from current global issues.
 I am especially honoured to extend
congratulations to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban
Ki-moon, for his unanimous re-appointment as the
Secretary-General of the United Nations. Over the past
five years, Mr. Ban has worked tirelessly to address the
various issues facing the Organization. We expect that
the Secretary-General will continue to pursue these
activities during his second term.
 Allow me to express my gratitude for all the
cooperation and the support we have received during
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s membership in the Security
Council, which will expire in a few months. Speaking
of our membership in the Security Council, let me once
again reiterate the view that the presence and
participation of small States such as Bosnia and
Herzegovina in the work and decisions of the Security
Council is particularly important for maintaining
balance within it. Accordingly, other countries, along
with the Security Council’s permanent members and
the world Powers, also have the opportunity to express
their views and participate in Security Council
decision-making on important issues of international
peace and security. It has been our pleasure and honour
to work together with all members of the Security
Council during the term of our membership,
2010-2011.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina had the honour to
preside over the Security Council in January 2011.
Although acting as President was only one segment of
the two-year experience in the Council, Bosnia and
Herzegovina once again proved that it can be an equal
partner on the international diplomatic scene and
respond to a variety of obligations.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina has played a
constructive role in the work of the Security Council
by contributing to the Council’s better, more effective
and faster response to situations with the potential to

13 11-50702

threaten international peace. Furthermore, Bosnia and
Herzegovina has also sought to share its own
experiences in post-conflict peacebuilding and
contribute actively to better and long-lasting
understanding and reconciliation. Through its role in
the Council, Bosnia and Herzegovina showed that it
can be an equal and competent partner in international
relations.
 The Security Council thematic debate (see
S/PV.6472) entitled “Post-conflict peacebuilding:
institution-building”, which was initiated by Bosnia
and Herzegovina, reached a number of conclusions. I
would like to mention some of them.
 In the interests of the success of peacebuilding
initiatives, priority must be given to institution-
building. so as to prevent a return to conflict and
ensure the survival, renewed credibility and legitimacy
of States. The purpose of institution-building is to
progressively reduce dependence on the international
community and promote sustainability. Ownership of
the reform process is the main condition for the
establishment of effective institutions and for ensuring
sustainable peace.
 Success in post-conflict institution-building
depends primarily on establishing partnerships between
the international community and post-conflict
societies, a partnership that is based on a set of
common goals. Bearing that in mind, we would like
once again to thank the Assembly for the confidence its
members have shown and for the support they have
provided during our membership in the Security
Council.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina also continues to
provide concrete contributions to the United Nations
peace operations in Liberia, the Sudan, Cyprus and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo.
 In Bosnia and Herzegovina, we are united in our
determination to move towards full membership in the
European Union (EU); our unity provides a solid basis
for the achievement of this goal.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina places special emphasis
on regional and subregional cooperation and dialogue
between neighbouring countries in the Balkans, with
their different cultures and traditions that have been
present for centuries. We are committed to future
cooperation with our neighbours, based on the
principles of mutual respect and respect for sovereignty
and territorial integrity. We are interested in sharing
our experiences with others and in developing mutually
beneficial relations in post-conflict peacebuilding,
based on mutual respect for differences, which, in our
opinion, represent an advantage.
 I would like to take this opportunity to emphasize
that the issues of neighbourly and regional cooperation
are closely related to the integration of Bosnia and
Herzegovina into the EU and NATO, which is a
strategic and high-priority foreign policy objective for
my country. We believe that this is the best and only
way to ensure stability, security, economic
development and prosperity for all citizens of Bosnia.
 The strategic goal of establishing formal relations
and EU membership is based on the aspiration of
Bosnia and Herzegovina to achieve the full functioning
of our own institutions and the further development of
society, on the basis of the principles of a free market,
the rule of law and, especially, the protection of human
rights.
 Furthermore, my country wishes to improve its
relations with the States of Asia, Africa, Latin America,
Australia and the wider region, at the multilateral and
bilateral level, in accordance with common interests
and real possibilities. Bosnia and Herzegovina remains
dedicated to the principle of openness in cooperation
with all countries of the world.
 Many important world events have occurred since
the previous session of the General Assembly. Bosnia
and Herzegovina is following with great attention,
preoccupation and concern the development of the
situation in the friendly Arab countries that are affected
by deep social and political changes. Bosnia and
Herzegovina supports democratic processes aimed at
the creation of free, democratic and prosperous
societies. However, such processes are often followed
by tragic consequences, and we therefore appeal once
again for the violence to stop and for peace to be
achieved in those societies.
 We are deeply concerned by the standstill in
crisis resolution in the Middle East. Despite the
optimistic announcements and plans made, the peace
process has not yet been revived, as had been expected.
The only way forward is a solution that is based on the
principle of the peaceful coexistence of two sovereign
States: a viable and independent Palestine and a stable
and secure Israel, with respect for the provisions of

11-50702 14

international law and humanitarian law and human
rights instruments.
 To date, the United Nations has supported and
actively participated in the creation of a positive
atmosphere in order to reach a just, comprehensive and
lasting peace in the Middle East. Bosnia and
Herzegovina believes that the conditions for a lasting
and just solution can be achieved with additional
political will and responsibility on the part of the
negotiating parties.
 We are witnesses to the fact that the international
community’s determination to deal with terrorism and,
at the same time, create conditions conducive to the
peaceful development of Afghanistan has yielded
results. However, we cannot but conclude that it will
take much greater efforts to establish self-sustaining
peace and stability in Afghanistan. In April 2010, as a
sign of support for the activities of the international
community, Bosnia and Herzegovina issued a decision
on the sending of an infantry unit to the International
Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan.
 I would like to emphasize here that Bosnia and
Herzegovina is still very concerned about terrorist
attacks, which claim innocent civilian lives in many
countries around the world. Bearing in mind the fact
that the modern world continues to face various forms
of international terrorism, I express our support for the
full implementation of the United Nations Global
Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the activities of the
Counter-Terrorism Committee. In that regard, let me
reiterate that Bosnia and Herzegovina is
unconditionally dedicated to the fight against terrorism
and is particularly active in cooperating with the
countries of our region to increase security and
enhance preparedness for the effective prevention of
terrorist acts. Completing negotiations and adopting a
United Nations comprehensive convention against
terrorism would be an important contribution in this
field.
 In addition to the political crisis, this year we are
faced once again with many other problems to which
the international community still lacks proper and
effective responses. Despite signs of recovery, the
greatest economic and financial crisis in recent history
has, unfortunately, left visible consequences that are
having repercussions on global peace and security. It is
clear that countries individually cannot cope with this
issue, no matter how efficient their Governments may
be. Global crises require global solutions.
 In the context of the activities of the United
Nations, we must face the fact that the greatest
economic crisis since the foundation of the world
Organization has to some degree threatened and even
begun to bring into question the achievement of the
Millennium Development Goals, one of the most
comprehensive strategic tasks set by the Organization
since its establishment.
 Therefore, it is necessary to do everything in our
power, individually and collectively, in order to
prevent any further erosion of this key strategic
project. We believe that it is necessary for the
international community, especially the United
Nations, to redouble its efforts to assist primarily the
least developed countries.
 The climate change problem caused by human
activity is leading to changes in the environment that
could have catastrophic consequences for humankind
as a whole if the process of reaching agreement on
environmental protection is not intensified.
 Bosnia and Herzegovina shares the concern of the
most States Members of the United Nations at the fact
that drought, floods, sea-level rise, lack of running
water and food, deforestation and all the other
phenomena caused by global warming pose a serious
threat to global security, which in future could be a
cause of conflict throughout the world. The extremely
important issue of climate change therefore requires
urgent action by the international community. Bosnia
and Herzegovina has expressed interest in joining the
countries that support the Copenhagen Accord; thus
our country has joined the large number of States
Members of the United Nations that consider that
Accord to be a necessary step in relation to Kyoto until
the achievement of a final, legally binding agreement.
 Bearing this in mind, I believe that neither
economic nor political interests should stand in the
way of achieving a global consensus as the beginning
of the global and common struggle to preserve the
natural balance of the planet. It is often forgotten that
climate change has a direct effect in terms of
development, poverty and hunger, and, consequently,
global peace and security. I am convinced that it is in
our common interest to ensure that future generations
inherit the best possible world on our common home,
planet Earth.

15 11-50702

 I hope that all of us who are here today agree that
comprehensive United Nations reform is necessary;
such reform must be carried out with extreme care,
with the broadest possible consensus on the part of
Member States. Bosnia and Herzegovina sees the role
of the United Nations and its agencies as central to
resolving key issues of international significance.
Therefore, it supports the Secretary-General’s efforts
and proposals for reform.
 United Nations reform should lead to the efficient
and coordinated functioning of all agencies and bodies
of the United Nations system, bearing in mind the need
to avoid any duplication of activities in the context of a
more rational allocation of financial resources.
 Regardless of the future configuration of the
Security Council, we believe that the Eastern European
group of countries must have another non-permanent
seat, taking into account the fact that in the past two
decades the number of countries in this group has more
than doubled.
 While presiding over a subsidiary body of the
Security Council — the Informal Working Group on
Documentation and Other Procedural Questions —
Bosnia and Herzegovina set the consideration of the
working methods and transparency of the Security
Council as a primary goal. Bosnia and Herzegovina
also organized several informal meetings in
cooperation with partner countries and the General
Assembly, at which States Members of the United
Nations expressed their opinions and views and put
forward concrete proposals for improving the
efficiency of the Security Council.
 I wish to emphasize in particular that it is
expected that the United Nations, particularly the
Security Council, be more active in the area of
preventive diplomacy. We believe that in order to make
the work of the Council more efficient, greater activity
in this respect would provide a starting point for
resolving many of the world’s problems and crises
before they flare up. Providing timely and effective
conflict prevention, rather than reacting once the crisis
has escalated, is certainly a more efficient and less
expensive mechanism for preserving peace and
security.
 During the six decades of its existence, the
United Nations has undergone ordeals but it always
was and still is the best framework for seeking and
providing adequate responses to the wide range of
global issues that we face. Therefore, I urge Member
States to work for the full implementation of all our
agreements in order to make the world a better place
for our future generations.


At
the outset, let me say that it is my pleasure to
personally extend to you, Mr. President, on behalf of
the Government and the people of the State of Kuwait,
my most sincere congratulations on your unanimous
election as President of the sixty-sixth session of the
General Assembly. Your election represents an
acknowledgement and an appreciation of the prominent
stature of the fraternal State of Qatar, which has strong
and distinct links and relations with my country,
Kuwait. I am confident, Sir, that you will conduct the
work of this session in a manner conducive to ensuring
its success.
 We also would like to pay tribute to the efforts of
your predecessor, Mr. Joseph Deiss, on his outstanding
presidency and his successful conduct of the work of
the previous session.
 We congratulate His Excellency Mr. Ban
Ki-moon on his reappointment as Secretary-General
and wish him continued success.
 We were pleased to see the accession by the State
of South Sudan to the United Nations. Kuwait
recognized the State of South Sudan on the first day of
its independence. We are confident that the
Government and the brotherly people of South
Sudan — a people with whom we are proud to have a
strong relationship — will achieve security, stability
and economic development for their country.
 There is no doubt that our Organization is
growing more important by the day. Over the past six
decades, the international arena has been the scene of
numerous events and developments that have had a
direct impact on international peace and security. As
the most legitimate, credible and independent
multilateral international mechanism, the United

11-50865 22

Nations has remained a safe haven for Member States
seeking solutions to questions, problems and crises.
There is a general conviction that no one country
alone, no matter how powerful and capable, can face
the dangers of terrorism, the proliferation of weapons
of mass destruction, climate change, epidemics,
organized crime or any challenges that do not respect
or recognize geographic or national borders.
 Recently, the role of the United Nations has
expanded significantly. This is particularly true in
connection with the humanitarian disasters that we
have witnessed, whether man-made or natural. The
latest example was the famine affecting the Horn of
Africa as a result of drought and violence. The United
Nations has been able to mobilize humanitarian aid and
to provide humanitarian assistance to those in need.
Those actions have alleviated the suffering and saved
the lives of millions.
 The growing importance of the United Nations in
our world today requires the improvement and
strengthening of its capabilities. We must enhance its
performance. This will require measures and steps to
reform its major bodies, including the General
Assembly, the Security Council and the Economic and
Social Council, as well as develop their functions and
responsibilities to enable those bodies to carry them
out efficiently and effectively. It is therefore incumbent
upon all States Members of the United Nations to
support the Organization, commit to implementing its
resolutions and provide it with the needed financial
resources, in a timely manner without any conditions.
In the final analysis, the power of the United Nations is
but a reflection of the support that Member States
provide in pursuance of its lofty objectives and the
fulfilment of its needs.
 We have witnessed with great concern the
developments and events in the Middle East region,
such as will lead to more deterioration in its security
and stability. The use of force and the acts of violence
that have claimed the lives of thousands must cease so
as to prevent further bloodshed. The legitimate
demands of peoples for the implementation of serious
and prompt political, economic and social reforms
must be heeded. In that respect, the State of Kuwait
supports all efforts calling for dialogue, understanding
and the rejection of violence.
 The State of Kuwait attaches great importance to
consolidating and developing its relations with its
neighbours on firm and solid grounds, based on mutual
respect and common interests, as well as to promoting
these relations to a level that meets the aspirations of
the peoples of the region. In this context, the State of
Kuwait supports the calls made on the Islamic
Republic of Iran to take serious and genuine
confidence-building measures, to abide by the
resolutions of international legitimacy, to cooperate
with the International Atomic Energy Agency so as to
dispel fears and doubts surrounding its nuclear
programmes, and to cooperate positively in resolving
the dispute over the occupied Emirati islands according
to the principles and rules of international law.
 This year, the State of Kuwait celebrated the
fiftieth anniversary of its independence and the
twentieth anniversary of its liberation from the Iraqi
Saddami occupation. That liberation was truly
considered one of the most salient successes of the
United Nations in its efforts to deter aggression and
eliminate its effects, based on the principles of the
Charter and the resolutions of international legitimacy.
 In November, Kuwait will also celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of its Constitution, which codified
the democracy that has become an integral part of the
State of Kuwait since its establishment. That is
considered one of the most outstanding achievements
of the people and Government of Kuwait. Those are all
historic occasions for a small peace-loving country that
believes in the principles and purposes of the United
Nations Charter and international law.
 Our country relies in its relations with other
States on respect for the principles of sovereignty,
independence and non-interference in the internal
affairs of others, as well as the settlement of all
disputes by peaceful means. The State of Kuwait also
seeks to overcome its painful memories by establishing
strong relations of cooperation, mutual respect and
good-neighbourliness with the brotherly Republic of
Iraq. We deeply hope that development and stability
will prevail there, and that further progress will be
achieved in Iraq’s efforts to enforce security and
rebuild the economy, which was destroyed by the
former regime’s aggressive and expansionist policies.
We reaffirm our commitment to providing all forms of
support to help Iraq implement its remaining
international obligations under the relevant Security
Council resolutions and regain its role in the regional
and international sphere.

23 11-50865

 More than six decades have elapsed and the
United Nations remains incapable of finding a solution
to the Palestinian question and of putting an end to the
Israeli occupation of Arab territories. Worse, the
suffering of the Palestinian people only increases with
the years. Their economic and social conditions
worsen, settlements expand, their lands are confiscated,
their water is stolen, their homes and land are besieged,
their movements are restricted and their sons and
daughters are imprisoned. Most troubling of all is that
the international community stands idly by, a passive
spectator to Israel’s unchanging practices and policies,
despite the fact that those policies not only violate the
most rudimentary rules of international law and
resolutions of international legitimacy, but undermine
any chance to achieve peace.
 Israel’s inhumane practices against our brothers
in Gaza — such as the totally unjustified blockade and
the deliberate destruction of infrastructure, despite
continued international condemnation, to name but
two — are a glaring example of Israel’s indifference to
its obligations and world public opinion. The
international community is therefore called upon to
pursue its efforts to bring pressure to bear on Israel so
that the Palestinian people enjoy their right to self-
determination.
 The Palestinian State must be established, with
East Jerusalem as its capital, and the Israeli occupation
of all the Arab territories it has occupied since 4 June
1967, including the Syrian Golan, must end. Israel
must also cease its continued violations of the
sovereignty of Lebanon and withdraw from all its
occupied territories. We wish to renew once again our
full commitment and support to the bid and endeavours
of the Palestinian Authority to obtain membership in
the United Nations as an independent, sovereign and
full Member State.
 The State of Kuwait welcomes the international
reports issued by the United Nations and its agencies
concerning the Millennium Development Goals
adopted at the 2000 Millennium Summit and the status
of their achievement. We can all be proud of the
accomplishments in reducing the number of persons
infected with HIV/AIDS and providing medication to
greater numbers of infected people, as well as progress
in fighting other communicable diseases, such as
malaria and tuberculosis. However, despite those
accomplishments, much remains to be done, since
these accomplishments are unevenly distributed among
States. Many indicators confirm that some States will
not be able to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals by 2015.
 That could be attributed to a number of causes,
the most obvious of which is the ongoing global
economic and financial crisis and its negative impact
on the majority of States, large and small, rich and
poor. However, developing countries, especially the
least developed, have suffered most because of the
weakness and vulnerability of their economies. Their
economic growth has faltered and the volume of their
exports fallen, while unemployment rates have risen.
At the same time, the prices of food and basic
commodities have risen, exacerbating the economic
and social impact of the crisis.
 No sooner had the world started to recover from
the economic crisis than the symptoms of another
began to emerge, threatening once again the growth of
the global economy. That new crisis is exemplified in
the sovereign debt of the United States and a number of
European countries. The international community must
forge ahead in restructuring the international financial
institutions in order to ensure their sustainability,
improve their ability to perform their duties effectively
and efficiently, and make them more representative of
and fair to the countries that need their support.
 The world today is in dire need of a just, fair and
balanced global trading system that bridges the
enormous gap between States, ensures mutual benefit
and assists in integrating the economies of poor
countries into the global economic system. Developed
countries must also fulfil their commitments and
increase their official development assistance to the
level of 0.7 per cent of their gross domestic product, as
agreed internationally.
 In that context, the State of Kuwait will spare no
effort to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to
States stricken by natural disasters or to respond to
appeals by the United Nations or its agencies to
alleviate the suffering of the peoples of such States. We
believe in the importance of the role of the United
Nations in the field of humanitarian assistance, and the
State of Kuwait has therefore increased its voluntary
contributions to a number of international
organizations and specialized agencies, such as the
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees, the United Nations Central Emergency

11-50865 24

Response Fund and the International Committee of the
Red Cross.
 Although the State of Kuwait is a developing
country, since its independence in 1961 it has followed
a special policy in support of developing countries and
least developed countries by extending a helping hand
and providing humanitarian and development
assistance when and as needed. More than 100
countries throughout the world have benefited from
that assistance, which exceeds $15 billion.
 The Emir of the State of Kuwait has launched
several initiatives, including the decent living
initiative, the initiative to support and encourage small
and medium-size projects, and the initiative to develop
and rebuild eastern Sudan, with a view to alleviating
the suffering in many countries affected by the increase
in the prices of food and energy, as well as those whose
economies have been affected by the global financial
crisis and have witnessed increased unemployment and
poverty. Many countries have benefited from those
initiatives.
 The United Nations has convened numerous
international conferences and adopted many
resolutions, agreements and statements. It has united
our visions, guided our endeavours and mobilized our
resources and our potential so as to consolidate our
common work to combat corruption, strengthen the
rule of law and good governance, ensure respect for
human rights, and empower women and bolster their
role in society, inter alia.
 We look forward to a more effective international
role within the context of the Alliance of Civilizations
initiative, in order to intensify dialogue between
various civilizations, religions and cultures;
disseminate the values of tolerance, moderation and
mutual respect; and reject any expression of violence
or extremism, which undermine our potential to work
together to spread the culture of peace and abide by the
lofty purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter
of our Organization.