Excellency,
I begin my intervention by paying tribute to the men and women worldwide who have been selflessly holding the line of defense against COVID-19 to care and protect our loved ones, risking their own lives in so doing. I also honor the memory of the many who have died to date and who are dying even as we speak, unfortunate victims of this insidious virus.
In Belize, we are working assiduously to contain its spread. Indeed we have closed borders, imposed curfews, mandated the use of masks and social distancing, quarantined infected persons and searched out and tested persons who have come in contact with persons known to have been carrying the virus.
While a health calamity has been avoided thus far we are suffering the worse economic shock in the history of our country.
Belize is a tourism dependent, export oriented country. Invariably, therefore, when the travel and tourism industry shutdown and the market for agro products is depressed, our economy flounders. To date 73 per cent of workers in our tourism sector, which is the most labour intensive sector in our economy, have lost their jobs. Seemly simultaneously, my country is now beset with both a health crisis and an economic crisis. In order to deal with the health crisis, government established a bipartisan National Oversight Committee (NOC) with broad supervisory responsibility for Belize’s COVID-19 response and recovery initiatives, including initiatives to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on society and economy.
The NOC was chaired by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. It has representation from the churches, private sector, civil society and trade unions. Government also established a COVID-19 Task Force, chaired by the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation. Frontline agencies and other social partners are included on the Task Force. This Task Force manages the day to day public health response and communications. Regretfully, in June 2020, the Leader of the Opposition resigned from the NOC.
My government took immediate steps to shore up health facilities, and, at the same time, put in place measures to ease the economic blow to Belizeans including through the introduction of a $10-million programme of food assistance and a US$24.5m programme for unemployment relief.
In terms of economic stimulus, the Government has launched programmes to animate the most impacted sectors of the economy including the extension of $7.25-million line of credit to micro, small and medium enterprises; and provision of wage subsidies to promote employee retention, and provision of a $5-million Special Line of Credit for Tourism Stakeholders. We have also launched an Economic Recovery Strategy which rests on 5 pillars namely: Supporting Business Recovery, Creating a Business Climate for Growth, Improving Government Efficiency, Strengthening of Productive Sectors and Agriculture, and Growing our Emerging Economy.
But all those efforts and initiative are puny in comparison to the magnitude of the impact of the pandemic. Economic growth is expected to contract by some 20 to 25 per cent, which is as much as three times the global average. And, we are still not sure that we have seen the worse of this pandemic.
It is worthy of note that, pre-COVID-19 Belize was contending with economic decline caused by ongoing climate impacts such as a prolonged drought and its impact on primary sector output, along with continued challenges caused by sargassum inundation on our marine spaces. Then on September 4, Hurricane Nana struck us inflicting another blow to our beleaguered agricultural sector.
Truly we are presently caught in the cross hairs of two grave crises with hardly more than our own limited natural resources and our determination to survive to bolster our position.
Regretfully, the international response to the COVID pandemic, not unlike its response to the climate catastrophe, continues to be tepid with the weaker nations and peoples having to bear the brunt of the ravages of the global missteps.
Blame is superceding coordination and cooperation; platitudes supercede support for the vulnerable. These two crises lay bare the systemic ineptitude of the global financial and economic institutions and the inequity of their rules and decision making procedures. While the rich and the powerful nations are fixated on the preservation of their competitive advantage, they are seemingly heedless of the failures of those institutions and the suffering of the people whose needs they are ostensibly designed to cater to.
The consequences of global missteps are particularly evident in small island developing states worldwide.
And even though we are the least culpable for these missteps, we are the most affected by their consequences. We are forced to pay in the debilitating debt we must absorb because of an antiquated notion that development is measured by income per capita with no regard for our endemic vulnerability. We pay in the lost decades of development and development potential as temperatures rise and so too the seas around us. And now in the face of the pandemic, the main global policy options being paraded before us would have us pay for our recovery. This, Mr. President, is the gravest of social injustices that the United Nations cannot afford to perpetuate.
Simply put, none of us have the luxury of time to repeat the follies of the past in the false hope that they will produce different results. The bush fires on the West Coast of the United States, the hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season, drought in Central America, the flooding of Africa and this global pandemic are stark reminders that we are fast approaching the limits of planetary sustainability for human survival. Science gives us a decade, if that much, to course correct. The stakes could not be higher — they include all that the United Nations in its seventy five years has worked towards including the vaunted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and the Paris Agreement. Multilateralism is on the frontline.
To us in Belize, the next steps for the United Nations are manifest.
The pandemic has emphasized our interconnectivity and our collective vulnerability. It is imperative that the international community come together and rally behind the vision of the Charter to advance the dignity of all human beings in larger freedom.
The pandemic has also revealed the entrenched duality between the haves and the have nots. The international community must therefore elevate the protection of the most vulnerable as its highest priority.
The pandemic has provided a preview of the risks we are all exposed to if we continue business as usual. We must therefore as nations rise up in unison to the challenge to reset the global trajectory for planet and people, in line with what we have already agreed to do under our multilateral agenda: eradicate poverty, secure our climate future, and ensure human rights and justice for all.
On behalf of Belize and the small island developing states we represent I wish to put forward a five point action agenda for the United Nations.
First, let us get the recovery right.
The tragedy of COVID-19 is symptomatic of the tragedy of the commons. We are pushing our planetary boundaries beyond what is sustainable for humanity, threatening our own health as much as that of the earth. This is occurring on land and in the ocean. Our recovery from COVID-19 is an opportunity to accelerate our recovery from the unsustainable use of planetary resources and build our resilience to future shocks.
The Secretary-General of the United Nations has championed six climate- related actions to shape the recovery and the work ahead.
At the core, these principles are about people. They are about promoting job security, and healthy environments. They are about sustaining growth and transitioning to a climate resilient environmentally sensitive global economy.
These principles if operationalized, will take us well beyond recovery and set us on a pathway that will jumpstart our climate rescue and safeguard our children’s future.
That future depends on holding global warming to well below 1.5 C.
Therefore as a second challenge, we must keep pressure on major emitters to increase their climate ambition and accelerate climate action for 1.5C.
2020 is the deadline to bring forward new climate plans with strengthened targets for climate action and a strategy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. But we are yet to see the level of ambition needed to bend the emissions curve and close the mitigation gap for 1.5. Belize commends China for its announcement to pursue a path of carbon neutrality by 2060 and looks forward to its forthcoming climate plans. It is imperative that those with historic responsibility to now walk the walk. Belize urges the United Kingdom as the incoming President of the twenty-sixth climate change conference, the European Union, and the United States of America to put their best plans forward before we close out the year.
As Belize stated in the Placencia Ambition Forum, small island developing states resolve to deliver their own ambitious climate plans and indeed we have been the trailblazers. Belize too will be coming forward with its climate plan. Our nationally determined contribution will feature our commitment to enhance nature based solutions amid the growing global awareness of the potential of ecosystems to contribute to raising climate ambition and foster sustainable development.
Nature based solutions rely on the viability of ecosystems and the biodiversity they support. It is for this reason that the United Nations must as a third challenge address the urgency of protecting biodiversity.
Biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation like climate change are occurring at unprecedented rates. This acceleration has resulted in and will continue to precipitate irreversible harm to the earth systems. If we fail to stop and reverse this trend, the damage to global economic, social and political resilience and stability will be significant and will render achieving the SDGs impossible.
In recognition of this crisis, Belize has joined the Leader’s Pledge for Nature which sets out urgent actions to be taken within the next decade to “put nature and biodiversity on a path to recovery by 2030”.
As a part of that pledge, we are committed to finalizing as a matter of priority the high seas treaty on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity. While the high seas covers nearly two-thirds (64%) of the world’s ocean, only around one percent of those waters are protected today. Such a vast area of the planet warrants protection to conserve biodiversity and maintain a healthy ocean.
I invite all to join the Leader’s Pledge, and endorse its actions as a part of our global commitment to the UN Decade for Action on Sustainable Development.
As is evident from the foregoing actions, our objective whether it is in recovering better, increasing climate ambition, or reversing biodiversity loss, is to safeguard the sustainable development agenda.
COVID-19 has changed the script on the Decade of Action on Sustainable Development. Just like a hurricane, this pandemic has been cataclysmic. Years of hard-earned development gains have vanished. Worse yet, for countries like my own, we are concerned that the global policy responses and the paucity in action on persistent challenges from climate to biodiversity will entrench poverty. In no uncertain terms, we face a development emergency.
Just as we must be sure to match our stimulus to our climate goals, we must do the same for our development goals. The integrated nature of our actions cannot be underestimated. For this reason, Belize in its capacity as the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States has advocated that we use the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together with the SAMOA Pathway and other internationally agreed development goals to chart our way forward out of the challenges we face. We need no reinvention. What we need is implementation and with that a renewed commitment to resuscitate our collective development goals. But because the pandemic has thrown some of us further afield from the SDG track, we also need to lend a hand to those whose legs have been completely cut from under them.
The fourth challenge I put to the United Nations is to give credence to the principle of leaving no one behind.
Small island developing states like Belize are engaging in a debt-fueled recovery to salvage any chance for our sustainable development because we do not qualify for concessionary finance. The denial of access to that finance amounts to a breach of the international commitment to support the special case of SIDS.
Per capita income can no longer define whether SIDS can access finance. It is high time that we finally replace the perverse income-based criteria with a robust vulnerability based criteria that looks at levels of poverty, indebtedness, and exposure to natural disasters and external shocks. AOSIS has called upon the Secretary-General to finally deliver a multi-dimensional vulnerability index which is some twenty-five years overdue.
As we have stated in the forum for Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond, traditional development tools have proven to be ineffective and COVID-19 continues to prove that point. New development tools need to be created or existing ones adapted. Inclusive and tailored measures for SIDS with a focus on debt relief, cancellation and restructuring are urgently needed.
My country as Chair of the AOSIS therefore calls for a SIDS Compact for Access to Finance with specific policy options that would address:
~ liquidity, solvency and enable a green, resilient recovery for SIDS ~ efficient access to finance as well as increased mobilization and expanded provision of concessionary and grant based finance
~ innovative sources of finance and facilitated private sector engagement for SIDS; and
~ Increased access to climate finance to address imminent needs of SIDS for adaptation and to address loss and damage as a result of irreversible impacts of climate change
This SIDS Compact is for all small island developing states, no matter where we fall on the anachronistic development chain. Any barrier that results in exclusions must be eliminated. In that connection Belize adds its voice once more to the overwhelming call and respectfully demand the complete rejection of unilateral coercive measures that have been imposed on our sister island, Cuba. Despite Cuba’s hardships, its historic humanitarian commitment and ethos of service and solidarity were again demonstrated by its deployment of the medical personnel of the Henry Reeve Brigade in many countries, including Belize, to our assist in our efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
We stand by the conviction that we are sovereign equals, and that all peoples without discrimination, without exception, must benefit from the promise of the Charter, to the rights therein including the right to self-determination.
This right to self determination is also applicable to the people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and their continued exclusion from the UN and its institutions is contrary to the goals of the organisation. Belize calls for the full participation of Taiwan in the UN system. It is manifest that they possess the capacity so to do as exemplified in their successful and effective approach to COVID-19 and their outreach to allied and other countries.
Belize would also wish to reiterate its solidarity with the Palestinian people, who continue to suffer under illegal occupation; we fully support their aspirations for an independent state, within its 1967 borders, with all attendant rights. We urge Israel to continue to work towards the realisation of the dream for a two state solution.
This brings me finally to the fifth challenge — reform.
Mr President,
Since the reckoning of the Millennium Development Goals, one narrative has been clear and unchanged. While there has been progress, that progress has been uneven. I do not expect any difference will come with the Sustainable Development Goals if we continue without purposeful reform of our institutions to level the multilateral playing field.
As the 2008 financial crisis and the emerging trend of responses to the COVID 19 crisis portend, our contemporary multilateral institutions including the global financial institutions embody a systemic bias for those with more power. This has resulted in the forging of global policies that succumb to the pressure of power politics, and a further marginalization of already vulnerable groups.
Disappointingly so, the members of the AOSIS have seen this time and again as we have tirelessly advocated for collective and ambitious climate action with an urgency of now and all we have to show for it is incremental progress.
This has led many of our small island developing states to ponder whether indeed we will be seated in this General Assembly to celebrate the UN’s centenary. As President Kabua of the Marshall Islands recently stated: “In the face of the planet’s existential challenge, the United Nations members must contemplate the future that inaction will bring — one in which the ranks of this noble institution may be diminished.”
Systemic change is needed. Multilateral systems and institutions must be reformed to be more inclusive and to advance a vision of shared responsibility and shared prosperity. The voices of the marginalized must be centralized. The policy of exclusion and exceptionalism that has been the bane of multilateralism must be replaced with a policy of inclusion.
Mr. President,
Belize continues to pursue its peaceful and just settlement of the Guatemala Claim to our country by participating fully in the legal process at the International Court of Justice.
2020 is humanity’s defining moment.
We have witnessed the rampant injustices that people even in the greatest of nations amongst us continue to suffer.
We have had to come to terms with the fallacies of our institutions and their winner take all policies.
But all is not doom and gloom.
We have learned from the sacrifice of our frontline workers, our heroes, that in the end what matters is compassion, and the selfless task of looking out for one another.
Multilateralism is on the frontline but I am confident that we will arise from this dark moment stronger and more resilient as nations unite.


Mr. President UN Secretary-General Excellencies Distinguished Delegates
At the outset allow me to share warm greetings from the Government and the people of the Republic of Kiribati. In the name of the Almighty God, I begin by sharing his peace and blessings. Kam na bane n Mauri!
Acknowledgement
Mr. President,
I join previous speakers in congratulating you, on your election to the Presidency of the 75th Session of the United Nations. I wish you every success as you guide our deliberations by making the United Nations of family relevant to all members.
On this note, I wish to assure you of Kiribati’s full support, as you discharge your duties for the Assembly, and avail my Government’s commitment, both morally and in kind, in particular for initiatives that seek to make our planet earth, a resilient, healthier, and safer home. This is the core of Kiribati’s Vision for 20 Years (KV20) in line with our efforts to implement our agreed 2030 Agenda.
Contextualizing the Theme
Mr. President,
The theme for this 75th session, reminds us that the effectiveness of our individual national agendas, can be greatly enhanced through stronger global cooperation. By reaffirming our collective efforts to enhance links between our governments, our multilateral institutions, we can work together to create a resilient, healthy and peaceful future for our respective peoples. This is critical, especially with the emergence of unprecedented challenges such as climate change, natural disasters and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. President,
On this note, I would like to express my deepest condolences to our brothers and sisters around the world who are suffering from the impacts of the global pandemic. These are difficult and uncertain times, which calls for stronger cooperation and reminds us of the strength we have in unity. It also reminds us of the United Nations we need- one that can step up in difficult and challenging times. A United Nations that undertakes to deliver and coordinate assistance and support. In particular to our most vulnerable communities and the least developed amongst us, through its agencies, programs and multilateral systems, in a coordinated and timely manner.
It also extends to all of us, as individual sovereign States; as global corporations; as non-government and civil society organizations; as cities, towns and villages; as families and individual human beings. From small islands in the Pacific, to megacities and metropolitans in Europe and America. We have a calling as Leaders to work together to address our most pressing global challenges.
Mr. President,
During this difficult time, our remoteness and isolated location has allowed my country to be among the few fortunate nations, currently free from the reaches of this virus. But that has been our only advantage. The temporary suspension of flights into Kiribati, and strict measures to contain our borders from the virus, has also resulted in unprecedented challenges. Many of our nationals are currently stranded in other countries such as Fiji, New Zealand and Australia, as well as other parts of the world, due to the containment measures imposed to limit the spread of this deadly virus. I am thankful to these Governments for the cooperation and support they have given to my people as they await repatriation to their home country. While many countries have already begun to repatriate their nationals, my Government remains in crisis due to the absence of adequate infrastructure and capacity to isolate our nationals upon their return. A few months ago, I declared a State of Public Health Emergency, calling for assistance from our partners to enhance and strengthen our public health sector and to assist with any other necessary actions required to mitigate the economic and social shocks of COVID-19.
Mr. President,
I am optimistic that we can overcome this challenge, if we work together, as members of the United Nations family. My government remains grateful for the support of our development partners namely Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, contributing 12.5 million AUD towards our preparations and efforts to mitigate the economic and social impacts emerging at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We also acknowledge the support provided by the United Arab Emirates through its assistance package to the Pacific; and the Government of India through the United Nations India Partnership Fund; the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives response to COVID-19; and USAID for the donation of ventilators; and the medical supplies and protective equipment delivered through the Pacific humanitarian air service- funded by Australia, UN agencies, the Red Cross and USAID.
Mr. President, I remain grateful and optimistic in the strength and partnership of our United Nations family. In challenging times, such partnerships are needed more than ever, and I implore our UN family who are able to do so, to increase their support to confront COVID — a future that focuses on poverty alleviation, social inclusion, and leaves no one behind
Mr. President
As leaders, we are charged with a noble responsiblity to take action today, to shape the future of tomorrow. Poverty and inequality remains humanity’s biggest dilemma and challenge. The social and economic security of any nation can only be strengthened, if the support system begins at home. It is therefore critical, that the UN programs targets the family, at a household level, from where the fragmentation of values, draws a fault line in our societies.
Like other governments, our people are our most precious resource. During these difficult times, the protection and welfare of the most vulnerable individuals and groups take centre stage. We are providing COVID-19 Relief Packages for laid off workers, State-owned Enterprises and the Private Sector, together with a food buffer. At the same time, we increase senior citizens’ support, copra price and general unemployment benefits.
As part of our policy for the next four years, my Government will be providing social welfare to certain age groups which are deemed to be the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in our efforts to improve the social and economic wellbeing of our citizens.
As my government undertakes its task for our people, we implore the United Nations to also do its part. Alleviating poverty is a complex undertaking and a challenging feat, which is duly recognized in the 17 goals of our 2030 Agenda. However, in times like this, we need accelerated action, and coordinated efforts, to target assistance to our most disadvantaged groups, marginalized communities and the least developed amongst us; as they remain most vulnerable, especially during global pandemics.
This is the future we want. A future in which development is inclusive and measured by the percentage of the population lifted-up across the poverty line, to live secure and healthier lives. And congruent with the ever-powerful motto of our 2030 agenda- a future that leaves no one behind.
Accordingly, I believe that the real and true test of the success of multilateralism, and that of our United Nations family, lie not in the measure of the number of treaties concluded or resolutions adopted, nor number of countries that graduate from the list of least developed countries; but rather on how the most vulnerable, disadvantaged, and least developed peoples, can get targeted support to ensure they are less compromised during the onset of global pandemics such as COVID-19. We need a United Nations that embraces these challenges.
Mr. President,
Blessed with a large ocean, Kiribati depends on the sea for livelihood. A common trait we share with our Blue Pacific family. For us, the sea is our identity and how we define ourselves and how we trace our roots, cultures and traditions. It is also the cornerstone of our economies.
We have a large EEZ and hence depend on fishing as our primary source of income, accounting for more than 70 per cent of total annual revenue. Being a volatile resource, we need to affirm our strategic intent of reinvesting more to maximize revenue to buffer the uncertainty posed by COVID-19
COVID-19 has created an unprecedented situation worldwide resulting in the closure of borders, both airports and seaports. This has presented a complicated situation for maritime transport and commercial activity, particularly for seafarers. Closure of borders have rendered ships unable to change crews forcing seafarers to stay on-board for extended periods of time and thus subjecting them to various health issues.
With current border restrictions around the world, our seafarers are effectively stranded both on land and at sea, unable to embark on ships to work and unable to disembark at other ports. In our efforts to address this issue, on 26 August 2020, my Government declared seafarers as key workers in response to the calls made by the IMO and the UN Secretary-General.
To this effect, I wish to make a call for the support of UN family and partners for assistance in fulfilling our commitment for the safety of all seafarers around the world, and their families and economies who depend on them.
A future that is resilient to the impacts of Climate Change
Mr. President,
Of great importance to Kiribati and our Blue Pacific is without question, the alarming dilemma of our present time, climate change. To this end, my Government continues to implement critical projects to build resilience, including the Peacebuilding Fund’ climate security project, which I launched in Kiribati earlier this month. In solidarity with our Pacific Islands Forum family, we also remain committed to securing our maritime boundaries, amid the impacts of climate change. This is a matter of sovereignty.
Equally, we underscore the importance of countries managing their own upper airspace, in line with the requirements of ICAO, relating to effective administration, capacity and safety. My government is committed to invest into our aviation capability and strengthen internet connectivity through fibre optic cable technology and welcome any support from our development partners and the UN family.
While COVID-19 is our immediate crisis, we must continue to work on the other challenges that confront us all, in particular climate change, which presents the single greatest threat to the livelihood, security and wellbeing of the Pacific and its peoples, as declared by Forum Leaders in the Kainaki II Declaration in 2019 and the Boe Declaration in 2018.
Conclusion
Mr. President
When I am asked to define the future that my people want, it remains for me to convey that Kiribati wants an uncompromised future. A future that is secure and certain. A future that seeks to make our planet earth, a resilient, healthier, and safer home. A future in which national plans such as the KiribatiVision for 20 Years (KV20), are enhanced by multilateral policies such as the 2030 Agenda. A future where our United Nations family continue to deliver and coordinate assistance and support, in particular to our most vulnerable communities and the least developed amongst us, in a coordinated and timely manner. A future in which development is inclusive and measured by the percentage of the population lifted up across the poverty line, to live secure and healthier lives; congruent with the ever-powerful motto of our 2030 agenda, to leave no one behind.
Mr. President,
The future may be a vision, but it is a vision I believe can come true. And by seeing all the support that Kiribati has received from our UN family in these challenging times, I remain optimistic of this vision.
Mr. President,
I believe that the transformation called for in our theme is a call for more action and less words. If every nation, acts accordingly along this path of alignment, with the right heart and soul, then there is a good chance of the whole world moving forward towards inclusive social development, for all by the end of 2030.
I conclude, by sharing with us all our traditional blessings: Te Mauri, Te Raoi ao Te Tabomoa, meaning Health, Peace, and Prosperity.
Thank you.


Mr President,
Mr Secretary-General,
Distinguished Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
75 years ago, from the ashes of a global conflict that devastated nations and peoples, the birth of the Organization of the United Nations marked a new beginning for world history, founded on the shared values of freedom, peace and democracy.
Today we are faced with an equally dramatic reality, albeit caused by different, unprecedented evils. An invisible enemy has upended our lives and consolidated habits. It has caused victims and suffocated the world economy, forcing us to suspend our social relations and limit our freedoms.
The COVID-19 pandemic has indiscriminately plagued every region and people of the world, putting humanity, once again, to the test. This tragedy has changed us, but has also offered us the opportunity for a “new beginning” — that is up to us to seize: after these months of suffering, we look each other in the eye differently, calling on a new sense of reciprocity and renewed spirit of solidarity.
Italy was the first Country in Europe and in the West to have faced the emergency on a large-scale. Our Country has become the symbol of a collective effort — a human effort, before being a health or political one, later serving to benefit the entire international community.
In the most traumatic weeks of the emergency, Italy was able to see first-hand the support and friendship of the world community. Many were the demonstrations of solidarity and assistance and many, I wish to underscore, were the testaments to the strength, resilience and courage of my fellow citizens to whom, even in this General Assembly, I feel a duty to say “thank you” for the extraordinary responsibility you have shown.
Our Country has overcome, with determination, the most acute phase of the health emergency, building on the experience gained directly on the ground, on the front line, in hospital corridors and research laboratories. Efforts that we today wish to share in a reinvigorated multilateral system, with the United Nations at its core, to turn into reality the idea of a world fit to tackle the challenges posed by the pandemic.
From the very start, we proposed the constitution of an international alliance in the fight against COVID-19. This initiative has enabled us to mobilize, in record timing, more than €40 billion as the global response of the European Union to the crisis, in particular, to guarantee equal and universal access to a vaccine, diagnostics and therapeutics. Italy considers these to be global public goods, with the objective of leaving no one behind. We have endeavored in all of the main international fora and settings of world governance for a multilateral response in both the health and economic sectors, in the form of extraordinary measures.
The lesson that our national community has learned from this difficult experience is in all of its complexity — one very simple thing: that health is a common, inalienable good, and as such, it must be guaranteed for every woman and every man on the Planet.
Today I am proud not only that Italy, with its scientists, researchers and businesses, has taken on the mantle of some of the most advanced projects on vaccine research. I am particularly proud to say that our contribution and research will be a collective heritage — the vaccine will be made available to all peoples. We cannot afford to look to the future of our Planet and of our children with selfishness, ignoring the fact that healthcare risks becoming a luxury in too many parts of the world.
The hope of soon beating this pandemic should not coincide with the wish to return to our old notion of “normal”. We should want more, imagine and reinvent a different world — because our previous reality was not the best possible one; it was perfectible. The challenge for each and every one of us is to improve who we are: it is the life lesson that the pandemic has written on our agendas. Ignoring it, while turning the page without confronting it, would be an unforgiveable mistake.
The European Union understood the scope of the challenge: to rethink our world, make it more sustainable, greener, more digital, more inclusive. The “Next EU
Generation”, together with the measures of the European Central Bank, represents a historic opportunity to look to Europe as an indispensable guidepost of our global partnership for a new future.
Last week’s announcement by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, of a “Global Health Summit” to be held in Italy in 2021 — precisely during Italy’s G20 Presidency — is a testament to our determined commitment to deliver.
It will be a time for coordination but also a tangible demonstration of renewed multilateral cohesion, based on the pursuit of collective well-being. A decisive step toward the crucial role of international cooperation, in which we place our strongest hopes.
It is in this spirit that Italy now advances an approach inspired by the “ethics of vulnerability”, which calls on all members of the international community to assume their share of collective responsibility for “global public goods”, such as fundamental human rights, health, education, sustainability, social and institutional resilience.
Mr President,
We are well aware of the responsibility that, with the G20 Presidency, our Country will be vested with to lead global efforts. We especially cannot ignore the particular moment in history our global community is living, to which our work in this august Assembly will be added.
We firmly believe that the upcoming G20 in Italy can be an opportunity for a collective renewal, a time to solidify that sense of community that every nation nourished in the darkest hours of the pandemic. We can leverage the synergy and brother- and sisterhood necessary to transform the tragedy of what happened into an opportunity for rebirth and regeneration. We can imagine, together, a New Humanism that puts people front and center.
Italy’s agenda will focus on: People, Planet and Prosperity. We call them the three Ps. We wish to seize opportunities for change by fighting injustice and inequity, because a more equitable and inclusive society is not only more just; it is also more prosperous and, globally, more democratic.
Particular attention will be given to the “empowerment” of women, on small and medium enterprises, on precarious workers. Access to digital technology, which for too long has been a source of inequity, should become a driver for inclusive growth, offering opportunities to all.
These efforts fall within the two pillars of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement. We will be promoting sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. The pandemic has opened new horizons for strategies to fight climate change and for environmental protection.
We will need to work together so that our renewed ambitions regarding climate change are not disconnected from the promotion of investments and policies for socioeconomic recovery. The European “Green Deal” is now more than ever necessary to win this challenge of the green transition.
Safeguarding biodiversity, protecting the oceans, and reversing soil erosion represent essential variables in combating climate change. For this reason, they must all come together as part of the same, shared narrative. The momentous appointments of the “High-level Event on Climate Action” and the “Summit on Biodiversity”, will see us hard at work, at the sidelines of this Ministerial Week, to ensure a sustainable recovery.
Our partnership with the United Kingdom in organizing the 26th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will reaffirm Italy’s role in this sphere. We will be particularly focused on increasing youth involvement in the debate on fighting climate change: the building of their world, the world of tomorrow, begins today. For this reason, we will be organizing — in the framework of the CoP26 — next year’s “Youth4 Climate” in Italy.
We wish to give a voice to youths and their proposals, understand their needs, build on the call that echoed in the past year throughout city squares across the globe. It is not simply about inclusivity and intergenerational justice — principles, which are, among others, enshrined in the Paris Agreement. For us, it is a moral imperative. In this spirit, Italy supports its Partner Countries, and in particular, those that need it the most, in building together a future resilient to climate change and efficient in its use of resources.
The society we want to rebuild in the aftermath of the pandemic must prioritize the promotion and protection of human dignity, in all of its forms, without distinction, without exclusion. To this end, Italy will continue to place at the center of its foreign policy action the protection of inalienable human rights in every international forum, starting with the mandate it is currently fulfilling — as tangible proof of our active commitment — in the Human Rights Council.
Our distinctive initiatives in this field are traditionally directed toward abolishing capital punishment. This year, an eighth resolution for a universal moratorium against the death penalty will be submitted to the General Assembly. I recall that the death penalty was abolished for the first time in world history in 1786, by the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. This sensitivity is part of our historic tradition. Indeed the first draft resolution for a universal moratorium was put forward precisely by Italy in 2007. This battle — I was saying — is our cultural heritage and national civic identity. It is our hope that the resolution rally an ever-greater consensus.
However, we will not be able to pursue the goal of a society founded on the respect of human rights if we do not prioritize the rights of women. The health crisis has shed an even brighter light on the vulnerability, discrimination, abuse and violence, which women still today endure throughout the world. By the same token, however, the crisis and emergency have also shined a light on their strength and their invaluable, irreplaceable role. This year we are celebrating an important anniversary: 25 years have passed since the fourth Beijing World Conference. This should be an opportunity to take stock of the successes, but also to forge ahead with more work that must be done to hold true to our shared commitments to realizing full, effective gender equality.
Mr President,
In many parts of the world, the pandemic has descended upon situations of conflict and severe crises, with potentially devastating consequences. This is why we have immediately supported the Appeal, launched by
Secretary-General Guterres in March for a “Global Ceasefire”.
Italy firmly believes that matters of peace and security should be tackled by way of prevention, mediation and consolidation of peace. Situations of conflict require a multi-dimensional approach comprising development, politics, culture, justice and human rights. We must give back primacy to politics, politics with a capital P, diplomacy, dialogue and — allow me to underscore, compelled by my legal background — international law over military options. We should do so not only to fulfill our natural aspirations toward peace, but because history — the most recent even more so than earlier chapters — shows that the recourse to arms is not sustainable nor lasting.
We thus stand without fail beside the United Nations in the promotion of stabilization processes, by investing all of our political capital, as well as by making a determined, concrete contribution to the SecretaryGeneral’s peacekeeping initiatives. This action responds to the widespread instability that, unfortunately, continues to afflict the entirety of the Greater Mediterranean, stretching east to Afghanistan and increasingly affecting directly the Sahel and the Horn of Africa in the south. Across this vast and complex region, Italy will continue to make a proactive and multidimensional contribution to peace, security and development.
Today we can look with hope to the timid but encouraging developments in the peace process in Libya. Its chances of success are tied to two factors: the respect of the Libyan people’s ownership of an inclusive solution and the essential mediation role of the UN. We must stop external interferences and meddling.
The ceasefire, despite its fragility, has finally reopened a space for intra- Libyan dialogue and the recent talks in Montreux send a strong signal that we must heed and protect. There is no better way to sustain peace than to show its advantages to the very peoples touched by the conflict. For this reason, the next step to take in Libya will be to allow for a resumption of oil production, throughout the Country, promoting an equitable management of resources to the benefit of the entire, and I mean entire, Libyan population.
The humanitarian initiatives that, through the invaluable work of UN agencies and Italy’s strong support, touch every part of the Country, must continue to be supported as they complement the path toward a political solution — the only solution that can guarantee lasting peace and stability for Libya.
Just over two weeks ago, I visited Lebanon, to personally bear testament to Italy’s solidarity to a people that — in the midst of a severe economic, political and health crisis — found itself grappling with the horrible tragedy that struck Beirut on 4 August. I also wished to encourage its institutions to continue to take heed of the Lebanese people’s demand for reforms that can no longer wait.
Italy immediately took to the front line in the collective effort, led by the United Nations, to overcome the current emergency and support future reconstruction. Italy will continue to do so, contributing to the stabilization efforts conducted by the UNIFIL mission currently under Italian command.
Among the negative effects the pandemic has caused in crisis areas is the worsening of the already dire vulnerabilities of migrants. Irregular migration flows are a global challenge, and as such, can be overcome only through a multilateral response of the international community. What is needed is action structured around the principles of solidarity and accountability, and founded on partnerships with the Countries of origin, transit and destination of flows.
We thus need collective action against the networks of traffickers of human beings. At the same time, we must nurture a long-term vision that starts with tracing back to the root causes of these movements. Italy, as a Country of entry into the European Union, is once again on the front line to support a change in perspective leading to a multilevel European governance based on genuine solidarity, and the development of secure channels for legal migration. Mr President,
We must ensure that the Organization fulfill its mandate in the best way possible, realizing the founding principles of its Charter, which are still today a vital point of reference for the international community, by rallying our efforts around the process of reform of the United Nations Security Council. We must make this process more democratic, more effective and more representative of the entire UN Membership.
The invisible enemy of today has yet to be defeated and is still causing victims and uncertainties. The pandemic has cast a light on our weaknesses, but also on our strength as an international community.
It has taught us that only together can we turn this dark page. It is, once again, time to embark on a new journey. It is time for courage; time for vision, as it was 75 years ago. Let us all, therefore, renew our commitment to work together to build the future of our children.
Thank you.


Mr. President;
Ladies and gentlemen Heads of State and delegations;
Mr. Secretary-General of the United Nations;
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Field Marshal of Chad, Mr. Idriss Deby Into, President of the Republic, Head of State, who would have liked to address this august Assembly personally but was unable to do so, has instructed me to deliver the following message to you.
“I would like first of all to congratulate the President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session, His Excellency Ambassador Volkan Bozkir, whose election comes during this particularly difficult time of the COVID-19 pandemic, and assure him of my country’s full support in carrying out his mandate.
“At the same time, I would like to express my sincere thanks to His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, the outgoing President, who was able to carry out his mission successfully despite the unexpected outbreak of the pandemic, which must have impacted on his work agenda.
“Allow me to pay a glowing tribute to His Excellency Mr. Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for his wise leadership and management of the crisis throughout this challenging period.
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Director- General of the World Health Organization, His Excellency Mr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and all his collaborators, for the remarkable work they are doing to fight this pandemic on a daily basis. The lessons learned from this pandemic provide us with an opportunity to rethink our health systems. Therefore, the WHO must adapt in terms of how to prevent and combat the occurrence of such pandemics in the future.
“I would like to acknowledge the leadership of His Excellency Mr. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and the Chairperson of the African Union, as well as the African Union Commission. They have been able to put a continental strategy in place to respond to the pandemic by taking timely measures aimed at pooling medical supplies for Member States, safeguarding the African economy and researching the vaccine against COVID-19, inter alia.
“Excellencies;
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“The revised format of this year’s general debate is a perfect illustration, if any were needed, of the scale of the upheaval in the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which unfortunately continues to rage. This invisible and relentless enemy has not only caused enormous human damage, but has also had a profound impact on all aspects of economic and social life, putting our national and global response capacities to the test.
“The highly relevant theme of this session, ‘The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism — confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action’, fully underlines the importance that we must all attach to international cooperation and multilateralism as an irreplaceable means to address major common challenges such as pandemics, climate change, terrorism, poverty and inequality, to name but a few.
“The COVID-19 crisis has laid bare our common weaknesses and, at the same time, demonstrated the need for enhanced collective efforts to better understand and overcome global challenges for the benefit of each and every one of us. This is an opportunity for this great family of nations, at this celebration of the seventy-fifth anniversary of our Organization and in the current particular context, to reaffirm the central place of the United Nations and the primordial role of multilateralism in international relations.
“It is also the occasion to underline the absolute urgency of strengthening multilateralism through the reform of global governance, which has been severely tested during this period, with a view to adapting it to today’s world in order to better face up to and resolve current and future challenges.
“Chad emphasizes the imperative need for increased international cooperation through meaningful solidarity with the most vulnerable countries, the least-developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States so that the promises of the Charter of the United Nations are fully realized and that the ultimate goal of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to leave no one behind becomes a reality — not just another broken promise.
“Excellencies;
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“The whole world is currently experiencing the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ability to deal with it varies by country. Developing countries, particularly African ones, owing to their multiple structural weaknesses, are more exposed to the adverse consequences of the scourge.
“As a landlocked Sahelian country, which is already confronting a number of crises, Chad is suffering full-on the many repercussions of the pandemic at the various levels of national life. Attending to the country’s national priorities has been upended, and the State’s limited resources have had to be redirected to deal first and foremost with health, humanitarian and socioeconomic emergencies.
“As in other countries in the same situation, the socioeconomic situation in Chad is of concern. Growth for the current year has been revised to be negative; the budget deficit has increased; several hundred thousand workers have become officially unemployed; household life has been significantly affected; and the macroeconomic data for 2021 are not looking good. The Government’s ability to implement the development activities emanating from the national development plan of Chad for the period from 2017 to 2021, as the main lever for implementing international agendas, in particular the first 10-year implementation plan of Agenda 2063 of the African Union and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, has been eroded.
“Chad’s national development plan, which was firmly supported by donors at the round table held in Paris in 2017, has not seen the expected results owing to the low level of anticipated resources. Therefore, in order to support the Government in its efforts to promote sustainable development, honouring the pledges to finance that effort is crucial for Chad, which is currently preparing its second national development plan.
“Excellencies,
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is worth recalling that, last year, at the General Assembly during its seventy-fourth session, we assessed the progress made and the enormous gaps that remained relative to fulfilling the commitments we made within the framework of the 2030 Agenda in terms of ending extreme poverty, ensuring access to quality education, combating climate change, reducing inequalities and ensuring inclusion.
“In particular, in Africa the gap in financing sustainable development is enormous. The promises made in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda have not been fulfilled.
“This is the moment to underscore that, without robust action taken by all stakeholders, it is highly likely that our shared goal of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda will not be met. That is why the Decade of Action is key to translating words into action to marshal the resources needed and ramp up the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.
“The international community, in particular the UN, must increase momentum and double efforts to ensure that development on the African continent, where the greatest number of least developed countries are located, is placed at the centre of international priorities through concrete actions reflecting that commitment. Only the increased involvement of the UN, whose leadership is more crucial than ever and the renewed commitment of all stakeholders will make it possible to provide the decisive impetus required to mobilize the resources needed to achieve the promises of the 2030 Agenda and support those countries already on the path to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
“In that regard, it is fitting to recall that debt was already a major handicap that the pandemic has accentuated. As the African Development Bank has noted, nearly 50 million additional people could be at risk of falling into extreme poverty in Africa in 2020. Moreover, Africa’s losses resulting from the pandemic will reach several hundred billion dollars for the period from 2020 to 2021. Many countries could then be forced to borrow, further aggravating the debt burden.
“In view of the magnitude of the challenges to be met and the present and future multisectoral needs, Chad once again calls for the outright cancellation of the external debt of African countries so that they can successfully respond to the COVID-19 crisis and adequately commit to addressing the post- COVID-19 socioeconomic reconstruction on a firmer foundation.
“Excellencies,
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“At the same time that the world is facing the coronavirus, terrorism continues to rage on the ground in Africa, particularly in the Lake Chad Basin and the Sahelo-Saharan region, while claiming innocent victims on a daily basis and seriously compromising the development efforts of countries in the region.
“Such was the case with the deadly 23 March attack perpetrated by Boko Haram against the Chadian defence and security forces in Boma in the Lac province. A vigorous response was launched by our forces, which led to clearing the islands of Lake Chad of Boko Haram terrorist elements.
“But we are under no illusions. The terrorist threat will not disappear overnight. We will continue to remain vigilant and engaged until security is finally restored in the affected areas through the eradication of the terrorist threat.
“In this context, we emphasize once again that the responsibility to combat terrorism in the Sahel and the Lake Chad regions is also international, as our struggle is part of the global efforts to ensure international peace and security.
“We therefore call once again on the international community for greater and sustained support for the Multinational Joint Task Force in the Lake Chad Basin and the G-5 Sahel joint force established by the countries of the region to combat Boko Haram and jihadist groups in the Sahel.
“If the situation in the Sahel is not improving despite the many initiatives and commitments by partners, it is because the fault lies primarily with the failure to fulfil promises made in support of G-5 Sahel joint force and the G-5 Sahel Priority Investment Programme.
“That is compounded by the low level of synergy among the various initiatives and forces present in the Sahel. We therefore believe that it is time to translate words into actions in the Sahel by honouring pledged contributions and marshalling additional resources to make the G-5 joint force fully operational and implement the development projects of the G-5 Sahel Priority Investment Programme.
“Our States have made considerable efforts of their own despite their modest resources. We have certainly benefited from the multifaceted support of bilateral and multilateral partners to whom we once again express our sincere gratitude. But given the magnitude of the challenges, continued and reliable international support is crucial.
“We take this opportunity to call once again on the Security Council to place the G-5 Sahel joint force under Chapter VII of the UN Charter in order to ensure its sustainable and predictable financing.
“Furthermore, we welcome the launch of the Coalition for the Sahel, based on the agreement among the G-5 Sahel countries and their partners to pool efforts and resources to combat terrorism.
“In that regard, it is important to continue working on strengthening the coherence of the goals and activities of all initiatives in support of the G-5 Sahel in order to respond more effectively to challenges and produce tangible results on the ground in terms of security and development.
“Excellencies,
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“Concerning the issue of climate change, Chad — a Sahelian country subject to the harmful effects of this existential threat, which strongly affects the sectors that make up the foundation of its economy — remains committed to the implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
“In that light, the urgent need to implement the measures adopted within the framework of financing the fight against climate change, particularly those aimed at marshalling substantial resources for developing countries, is no longer in doubt.
“Excellencies,
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“At the international level, we welcome the ceasefire in Libya, declared simultaneously by the President of the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Chad reiterates its call on the Security Council to shoulder all its responsibilities to end external interference. It once again urges all Libyan stakeholders to respect the ceasefire and to resolutely engage in a process of inclusive negotiations leading to true national reconciliation.
“With regard to the Sudan, Chad welcomes the signing of a peace agreement among Sudanese parties on 31 August in Juba thanks to the mediation efforts, in which Chad is a stakeholder, under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit of the Republic of South Sudan, whose personal involvement I commend.
“Chad calls on the other armed movements to join the process in order to achieve a comprehensive and lasting peace, which the Sudanese people greatly need.
“Concerning the tension surrounding the Great Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia, Chad calls on the brotherly Governments of Egypt, Ethiopia and the Sudan to continue to prioritize dialogue in order to reach a negotiated solution under the aegis of the African Union.
“With regard to the situation in Palestine, Chad welcomes the agreement reached between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which provides, inter alia, for the suspension of the annexation of certain parts of the West Bank.
It also welcomes the agreement with the State of Bahrain. Chad reaffirms its commitment to the two-State solution within their pre-June 1967 borders, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions and the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
“With regard to the embargo imposed on Cuba, Chad reiterates its call for its definitive lifting.
“Excellencies,
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
“The UN we need must meet the aspirations of all Member States. Africa must have its full place in that decision-making organ of the United Nations. Disputes over UN and Security Council reform seem interminable to us while challenges urgently require our attention.
“It is time for justice and equity to be restored for Africa. In that regard, Chad remains committed to the Common African Position articulated in the Ezulwini Consensus.
“I wish our work every success.
“Thank you for your kind attention.”


I	Introduction
Mr. President, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
I congratulate you, Mr. Bozkir, on assuming the post of President of the current session of the United Nations General Assembly.
I assure you of Latvia’s cooperation as you guide the work of this essential body in the coming year.
II	Multilateral response to Covidl9 pandemic
Mr. President,
We meet in virtual form because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused unprecedented global upheaval in our generation.
While each country has taken measures to prevent and control the spread of the pandemic at home, no country can overcome it on its own.
The United Nations and its agencies, notably the World Health Organization, are crucial in coordinating and providing a global response. This role should be fulfilled effectively, and lessons must be learned to be better prepared for future challenges.
Latvia quickly responded to the global appeal of the UN Secretary-General by contributing to the Global Humanitarian Response Plan for COVID-19 through the World Health Organization.
Furthermore, Latvian scientists participate in the global efforts to develop an effective vaccine against the virus, so that we can return to normality.
III	Global security
Mr President,
Effective multilateralism remains the most essential tool for maintaining the international rules-based order and security.
The rules-based order is the foundation for global justice and peace. The main purpose of international law is to ensure respect for fundamental human rights and state sovereignty. The world will see fewer conflicts and threats to peace if people sense they are treated justly. Every state is responsible for respecting this order.
The United Nations, too, must make every effort to ensure that this order is respected, both by large and small states — nowadays not only in the analogue world, but also the virtual world created by modern technologies.
Therefore, the United Nations should actively use all instruments, including diplomatic efforts and peace-keeping missions, to find just political solutions to today’s complex and protracted conflicts throughout the world.
Concerning one important aspect of justice, Latvia remains strong in its support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, in recognition of the close link between global security and equal participation of women.
The substantial contribution of smaller countries to international peace and security is currently being demonstrated by our northern neighbour Estonia, as it holds a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Latvia, too, hopes to assume this honour and responsibility for the term 2026-2027.
IV	Recovery from the pandemic
Mr President,
Latvia supports the UN Secretary-General’s call to “build back better” from the pandemic. As a member of the UN Economic and Social Affairs Council (ECOSOC) Latvia will continue to advance the “recover better” agenda.
The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement must remain at the centre of our recovery efforts. Faster recovery will require good governance and respect for human rights and gender equality.
I am convinced that to “recover better” means a green, digital and inclusive recovery. We urgently need to strengthen our efforts to address climate change, to tackle the loss of biodiversity and to protect the environment. We should promote more sustainable consumption and production patterns. Latvia has joined the Group of Friends to combat marine plastic pollution. We stand ready to work together to address this challenge and to share the Baltic Sea region perspective.
During the pandemic Latvia quickly introduced digital solutions and tools in order to continue education and all democratic processes remotely. Latvia was amongst the first countries to develop a national mobile application “StopCovid”, successfully balancing effectiveness of contact tracing with respect for privacy. Latvia was also among the first to introduce e-parliament, where a Parliament can fully function remotely — propose new legislation, debate and vote on laws - relying on the secure digital identity of every member of Parliament.
Mr President,
“Recover better” also means that in going digital, we must take even greater care with data collection and use, especially in regard to privacy. When governments, international companies and other entities digitally collect more information about a person than he or she is aware, this creates a considerable threat to personal freedom. It also makes a person much more vulnerable to manipulation.
To be more concrete and direct - digital tracing and profiling, which are very difficult to evade, endanger a person’s fundamental freedom. This is a serious challenge for society. By resolving the legal framework and investing in technologies that factor in respect for privacy, I believe we can create human-centred technologies with much bigger potential. We all need to address this challenge together, at the national, regional and global level, with full respect for fundamental human rights and freedoms.
I want Latvia to be a global role model for a human-centred multilingual digital economy, to support developing economies in going digital, and at the same time to elaborate digital standards for the respect of privacy and to promote them internationally.
V	Infodemic
Mr President,
Latvia is concerned that among other negative consequences, COVID-19 has created a breeding ground for misinformation, disinformation, fake news and hate speech. It is critical that states counter misinformation and provide access to free, reliable and science-based information through free media. This is a universal human right that we must respect and help each other to exercise.
Latvia has credible expertise and can contribute to this end. In June at the United Nations, Latvia together with a cross-regional group of 130 countries called for action to fight misinformation and disinformation, or the so-called “infodemic”, in the context of COVID-19.
The statement complements the “Verified” campaign announced by the UN Secretary-General, as well as the UNESCO response to this negative trend.
Free, objective and pluralistic media play an indispensable role in informing the public during the ongoing pandemic.
Technology companies and social media platforms need to be more accountable for addressing online disinformation. Social media is not merely a platform where people and diverse information meets. The technology, the algorithms, the business models that drive the advertising market and attention economy all play a large part in the distribution of disinformation. Our priority must be to protect both privacy and freedom of expression in the digital domain.
The exponential increase of misinformation, disinformation, fake news and hate speech in recent years is dangerous not only in the context of the pandemic. It is a general threat to world peace, it is a general threat to efforts to solve global issues such as climate change and environmental pollution. In short — it is a general problem of humankind to find rational solutions to the challenges of our time. These threats should be taken seriously both on the national and international level.
VI	Distortion of history
Mr President,
Concerning the wider phenomenon of disinformation, I would like to address one example. Russia’s increasingly revisionist approach, especially in the context of World War II events, is unacceptable. Russia makes continuous attempts to turn history into a disinformation tool. This goes hand in hand with continuing restrictions on democracy and free speech. We call for an independent, international investigation into the recent poisoning of opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The perpetrators of this crime must be held accountable.
VII	Belarus
We also follow with great concern the events in Belarus, especially in view of the brutal repressions that followed the presidential elections on 9 August. We call for new, democratic and transparent elections and an end to the repression of peaceful demonstrators. Latvia is currently providing medical treatment to several victims of the repressions. We also call on Russia to desist from any further interference in Belarus, so that its people can decide for themselves the future of their state.
The women of Belarus especially have shown great strength and courage. Svetlana Alexievich, laureate of the 2015 Nobel Prize for literature, speaks of “thirst for changes, thirst for new life, thirst for honesty”. In Latvia we still remember such thirst 30 years ago. We are always ready to share our rich experience of regaining democracy and freedom.
VIII	Conclusion
Mr President,
I sincerely hope that this time next year we can all meet again in person. Until then, let us use this unusual time wisely. Mobilized by the shared suffering during this pandemic, let us make renewed efforts to forge peace and a sustainable way of life, for the good of all humanity.
Thank you!


Mr.	President of the	United Nations General Assembly,
Ambassador Volkan Bozkir;
Secretary General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres; Excellencies,
I greet all participants, with the hope that this sui generis meeting will be one more decisive step in the search for a more humane world, with international peace and security, in an environment of fair and balanced relationship between all nations.
I congratulate you Mr. President, on your election. I wish you success during your term.
I appreciate Ambassador Tijjani Muhammad-Bande’s successful mandate during these difficult times. My fellow countryman, Emanuel Tilman, had the opportunity to work in your office. The experience he gained working with the President will be precious for his life.
The topic chosen by the President is a challenge. For my country, this is a real commitment. On behalf of my People, I thank and pay homage to all who are on the front line and express condolences to those who have lost their loved ones.
To the fear and insecurity that have seized people, health systems have been weakened and the socio-economic fabric has been totally shaken, causing the loss of millions of jobs. On March 21, the first positive case was confirmed in my country. Before the first State of Emergency was decreed, our citizens already took action.
In preventing and combating COVID-19, the Government worked in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO).
The borders were closed, quarantine and isolation units were created, and teams were formed to sensitize our people.
The establishment of an Integrated Crisis Management Center allowed a coordinated work between all sectors involved in this fight.
Also important was the support of other partners such as China, Australia, Cuba, the United States of America and the European Union, with support in human resources and the donation of equipment, needed for this fight. Timor-Leste has recorded, since March, 27 positive cases, of which 26 have been recovered. To date, no one has gone into intensive care.
As President of the Republic, and in strict agreement with the Government, we took advantage of the impact of COVID-19 to establish an Economic Recovery Plan, centered on people, which will reactivate the national economy, with measures in the short, medium and long term. It is a means of stopping the loss of jobs and income.
We take it as an opportunity to correct and address structural weaknesses.
May the vaccine to be produced become a global public good. Also, in the spirit of collective and solidarity action, the Secretary General, my dear friend Antonio Guterres’s Response Plan to COVID-19, and the various initiatives to alleviate the burden of debt and the financing for development are worth mentioning. I am deeply convinced that together in a genuine spirit of solidarity, the Humankind will overcome this challenge.
Despite the cruelty, the pandemic has given us the opportunity to be increasingly aware of the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
Global cooperation and partnerships, both at the regional and national levels, are crucial to build a resilient, sustainable and inclusive world.
In the spirit that no one will be left behind, we must pay attention to the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and, moreover, to the most vulnerable, fragile countries and to the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). We are a post-conflict country and under the spirit of solidarity, Timor-Leste was the basis for the establishment of a coalition of Fragile States, known as the g7+, whose Secretariat is based in Dili.
It is also in the spirit of contributing to peace and stability in the Region, and in the context of the challenges that any State faces and that concerns its insertion in the region in which it finds itself, that my country is committed to the process of joining ASEAN, regional block with more than 600 million inhabitants.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The disrespect for Nature has caused climate changes with negative impact on Humankind. The destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity is linked to the new diseases of which COVID-19 is an illustration.
Thus, Timor-Leste believes that the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals embody essential means and issues on the road to the reconstruction of our countries. The development of family farming, the rational and planned use of natural resources, the fight against pollution and intelligent policies to protect the environment, with the engagement of citizens are crucial issues that must be respected so that Life can be possible on our planet.
As Head of State, I develop in my country the program “A citizen, a tree” which is progressively being implemented. To the citizens who contributed to the well-being of the communities, the Presidency of the Republic awards, annually, the Sergio Vieira de Mello award. In 2019, the prize was awarded to a civil society organization that reforested affected mangrove areas, In order to reduce plastic waste pollution, the country has adopted a recycling policy and we already have a small unit for processing and treating plastic bottles in order to produce relevant application material (brick for building houses and chairs for domestic use).
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Indonesian invasion and occupation resulted in a prolonged conflict that seemed untractable. The UN’s engagement was very relevant, and it became a success story. Allow me to emphasize the fact that the process of reconciliation between Indonesia and my country is an example of good neighborhood and cooperation, despite the painful and tragedy past.
We have been a full member of the United Nations for eighteen (18) years.
As an internationally recognized sovereign State, we are giving our contribution to shape a more updated and needed UN. One of our distinguished citizens, the former President, Jose Ramos Horta, chaired the High-Level Panel for peace operations. The panel aimed to reinforce the effectiveness of peace operations.
As an active member of the United Nations, we made our contribution to reinforcing the awareness on the Sustainable Development Goals. Our own experience pointed to the need for States to have strong institutions capable of facing the challenges and threats of modern times. We are convinced that international conflicts must be resolved through negotiation and dialogue. These tools allow the promotion of the peace that is so necessary for humankind. We are concerned by the recent increase in tension over the maritime dispute in the South China Sea. I proudly say that we were the first country to use the compulsory conciliation mechanism, advocated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. We call on all parties involved to resolve their differences through dialogue and negotiations in order to achieve a peaceful solution.
We feel that it is just, to call for an end to the embargo suffered by the People and the Government of Cuba. The solidarity of Cuban scientists, doctors and health professionals, in the fight against COVID-19, deserves our respect and admiration.
History and language ties us to the countries and peoples that make up the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, the CPLP. We were honored to preside over this Community for 2 years. We are concerned about the terrorist violence that befalls the north of Mozambique, a brother country.
Time and again, we are all faced with racial and sexual violence. We strongly defend gender equality and the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples. Racism is unacceptable and absolutely abominable.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
This year of 2020 is the last year of the third international decade for the eradication of colonialism. In Western Sahara, the United Nations Mission — MINURSO — has been in the territory for almost three decades, but we have not yet seen satisfactory progress. It is urgent to appoint a Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Western Sahara in order to speed up the process of negotiations between the parties in conflict and find a solution that guarantees the Saharawi People the exercise of the right to self-determination, according to the United Nations Charter and other relevant Resolutions.
We have established diplomatic relations with both the Israeli and the Palestinian States. We are for the peaceful solution and the coexistence of two States in that so prone conflict region.
Mr. President,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is with humility that I say to you: I myself have experience of suffering and adversity however I am deeply convinced that together we will come out stronger and we will win as humankind.


President of the General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir,
Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres,
Excellencies, Heads of State and Permanent Representatives,
It is once again an honour for me to stand before the General Assembly on behalf of the People of Colombia, especially this year as we commemorate the United Nations seventy-fifth anniversary, which marks a milestone in the decision made by sisterly democratic nations to seek out and create space for common growth.
My country has understood the importance of dialogue to overcome obstacles and the urgent need for frank discussion to find common ground. That is why we exemplify a long tradition of participation in multilateral settings.
For example, we became the thirty-seventh member of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and will become pro tempore President of the Forum for the Progress and Development of South America and the Pacific Alliance. That demonstrates our commitment to multilateralism and regional commitment to finding joint solutions that, in accordance with the United Nations call on us, will help us ensure that no one is left behind.
The increase in the loss of biodiversity is currently one of the major global issues. The current situation has shown us the close relationship between human health and that of ecosystems, the declining state of which is putting our survival as a species at risk.
Colombia stands out as the second most biodiverse country in the world with the greatest biodiversity per square kilometre. Colombia enjoys the fact that it accounts for 50 per cent of the world’s paramos within a country that is 30 per cent Amazon rainforest.
Colombia has achieved an overall reduction of 30.9 million tons of carbon dioxide, while we have been waging an unprecedented battle against deforestation in our country’s history. We therefore consider defending the environment as part of our national security.
That is how we have reduced deforestation by 19 per cent in the past two years and continue to do so. Through the Artemis project, we are making our decision to turn diversity into a strategic asset a reality, and, accordingly, we have recovered more than 6,000 hectares of our Parques Nacionales Naturales and prevented 23,000 hectares of forest from deforestation, while, at the same time, we are planting more than 35 million trees to bring us closer to our goal of planting 180 million by 2022.
We have also made progress in the area of capacity-building to produce renewable energy in the fight against climate change. Whereas in 2018 we had 30 megawatts of capacity connected to the national grid, today we have expanded that capacity almost five-fold, reaching an additional 140 megawatts, with the goal of continuing to increasing it 20-fold, in contrast to 2018, so that in 2022, our country will exceed 2,200 megawatts.
We reaffirm our commitment to making the Minamata Convention on Mercury a reality, and we declare our progress as a nation in the adoption of a law banning the use of asbestos and in promoting the use of electric vehicles. Likewise, we are waiting for the Congress of the Republic to adopt the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, known as the Escazu Agreement, which we signed at the end of last year.
The Leticia Pact, which I announced a year ago within the context of the General Assembly, has seen the realization of part of the call made by the Colombian Government, around which we have united seven States to implement a concrete action plan, which currently involves 52 specific actions for the conservation and sustainable development of the Amazon, while recognizing its importance as a strategic ecosystem for the planet.
Colombia has succeeded in getting more than 2,800 families from the Amazon region to participate in livestock restructuring projects and the production of nontimber products. In addition, more than 17,000 indigenous families are benefiting from governance and sustainable economy projects, and 15,000 of them are beneficiaries of payment for environmental services mechanisms involving nearly 219,000 hectares. That demonstrates what we are achieving in imagining the future.
And just as we have led actions to protect the Amazon, the rainforests and the oceans, we call on all the nations of the planet to protect high-mountain ecosystems.
Colombia is home to half of the world’s paramos, and today I call on the members of the General Assembly to join us in creating a global strategy for safeguarding the high-altitude ecosystems to ensure their survival and the sustainability of the communities that inhabit them. The paramos are veritable drinking-water factories and the source of the watersheds that irrigate much of our country.
Therefore, we also call on the nations of the world to contribute resources and understand that the protection of the paramos is a universal duty.
Colombia is a magnificent country inhabited by men and women as diverse as its nature. We have lived through the onslaught of violence and poverty and are therefore committed to building a sustainable future based on equity.
Achieving true peace is the social decision to build prosperity based on truth, solidarity, respect for law and the firm rejection of all forms of violence.
The Government has developed its Peace with Legality policy based on social stabilization and the institutional consolidation of the territories most historically affected by violence and poverty.
The Peace with Legality policy is benefiting more than 6 million fellow citizens in their territories, with an investment of more than $780 million, supporting the more than 13,500 former combatants, as well as changing their lives — with a sense of legal purpose and guarantees of non-repetition for more than 9 million victims.
I would like to take the opportunity of being in this Hall to honour the victims of violence in my country. Likewise, I praise the work of those who every day make the million needed efforts into a reality — the social leaders who are building a more dignified and generous society, and who, despite the difficulties, are ceaseless in their efforts to build a country for all. We recognize their and all Colombians’ vocation to build a future by bridging and healing wounds, while, at the same time, ensuring that brotherhood under a reliable legal system gives us reason for pride.
Today in Colombia there are no conflicts between the friends and the enemies of peace. Today we are one country on the path moving forward regardless of whether the wind is with or against us.
Multilateral tools have been key to the international community’s contribution to that end, especially in terms of reparations for victims, strengthening rural development and formalizing property ownership in the remote corners of our country. I underscore and am grateful for the support of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, which can exceptionally attest to the Government’s outstanding progress in achieving peace with legality, that is, real peace.
Unfortunately, all our efforts face a common threat — drug trafficking and the illicit economies it generates. For my country, the fight against drug trafficking is an ethical imperative, as it produces all forms of corruption, comprises a ubiquitous link in crime and is the source of social decay.
Drug trafficking fuels human trafficking, arms trafficking, illegal mining, deforestation and smuggling. Drug trafficking tears families apart, breaches social values, constantly puts at risk the lives of millions of people around the world and fosters inequality, sowing hatred, violence and death in peaceful areas.
Drug trafficking transcends borders, and my country has suffered as a victim because of this horrible fact. The transnational crime demands the joint action of all States, with a sense shared responsibility. In such shared challenges, we must act together, resolutely, energetically and unhesitatingly as a duty to future generations.
The situation caused by the coronavirus disease has also become a threat owing to the fissures caused by social inequalities.
The global crisis has highlighted both the strengths and weaknesses of multilateral tools. For instance, it showed that the need remains to define better cooperation mechanisms in circumstances of crisis, while those same tools have led to the search for joint solutions to overcome it, for example, in terms of finding a vaccine.
Working together with organizations such as the Pan-American Health Organization and the World Health Organization has been crucial throughout 2020 and will continue to be while we search for possible solutions to the crisis. Mechanisms, such as Vaccine Global Access, in which Colombia is actively participating, are essential to various nations’ collaboration in the search for and distribution of an eventual vaccine. Solidarity and sustained cooperation among nations are essential if we are to successfully weather the storm of the pandemic.
The pandemic is proving to be a turning point in thinking about a sustainable and just future. Now that we are looking to revive our economies and restart leading productive lives, environmental sustainability needs to be the rallying point for building a more sustainable and responsible world.
Within that framework, the protection of regional democracy is a fundamental element. The threats to democracy we see today are putting at risk the freedom of nations, as well as preventing regional integration and cooperation to overcome challenges like those currently facing humankind.
The Maduro regime is sustained by resources from drug trafficking, harbours terrorists and poses a constant threat to the democracies of the region and the world.
The constant violations of human rights by the Maduro dictatorship, which we have condemned in our country and in international forums, including the International Criminal Court, have recently been confirmed by the United Nations.
Why? The goal sought in Venezuela together with crimes against humanity is to perpetuate the tyranny. And the entire international community without exception must reject the situation, and we need to stridently call on all the nations of the world to raise their voices to demand truly free elections — not the staged electoral performance to which the Venezuelan people will be taken to in December only to perpetuate the dictatorship. We must, therefore, reject the process, which is seeking to legitimize Maduro’s dictatorship.
Colombia says to the world today that it looks to the future with optimism, with its head held high, and calls on its leaders to unite more so than ever, since the founding of the Organization, so that together we can overcome the unprecedented difficulties that these times have placed before us.
I am certain that our greatest strength lies in our own humanity. I am convinced that when we look back on these months, we will see resilient peoples, who stood up to the challenges of their time and navigated the storms wisely.
Presidents and Permanent Representatives, the future is in our hands.
Many thanks.