President of the General Assembly, Secretary-General of the United Nations, Heads of State and Government, ladies and gentlemen,
Last year, we met in New York for the General Assembly, and I called on each and every one of you to have the courage to build peace and shoulder our responsibilities together. Such courage, I must say, has been more than severely tested by a health, economic, social and security crisis of an unprecedented scale, which immediately became global, never before seen since the establishment of our Organization 75 years ago. That courage came first and foremost from those who were on the front line from the beginning, all around the world, and who are still there today, providing medical treatment, food, assistance and physical and moral support — our health-care personnel and humanitarian workers. With these opening words, I wish to place them in our thoughts. They are relying on us to commit to and build concrete responses together, since this crisis, clearly more than any other, requires cooperation and requires us to devise new international solutions.
First of all, I believe in science and knowledge, and humankind will defeat this pandemic; a cure will be found. But, in the meantime, and no one knows how long that will be, each of our countries have no other choice but to learn to live with the virus, and the world will have to learn to live with this new reality that we cannot escape, revealing our weaknesses and placing us before our immediate responsibilities. That new global reality is clear, brutal and certainly dizzying, and we must approach it without giving in to despair and despondency, but with clear-sightedness. All the challenges that we faced were intensified and exacerbated within a few months. The successes achieved were hampered and setbacks accumulated.
Years of progress in the fight against other infectious diseases, such as AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis, which we thought we could eradicate, have been delayed, or worse. More than 37 million people have fallen into, or fallen back into, extreme poverty. Food insecurity is a serious threat, and it has increased. More than 1 billion students have been affected by schools closing in more than 160 countries. Forty million children have been deprived of their first year of education. Women have been on the front line and have seen all forms of sexual, domestic and gender-based violence build up against them.
In the light of that and the many other effects of the pandemic that has struck our planet and which continues to affect every continent, our means of collective action has further fragmented. While the only solution will be found through our cooperation, the international organizations that we crucially need, such as the World Health Organization, have been accused by some of complacency, while others manipulate them. Trusted third-party scientists and journalists, who are so essential to our understanding and ability to efficiently respond to the crisis, have been undermined by State propaganda, as well as the misinformation epidemic. Our Organization risked powerlessness. The Security Council, the guarantor of peace and stability, struggled to agree on a humanitarian truce that we supported with all our strength. Just imagine. We struggled so much to agree on so little. But the permanent members were unable, in such exceptional circumstances, to come together as we would have liked, because two of them chose to demonstrate their rivalry rather than collective effectiveness. All of fractures that existed before the pandemic — the hegemonic clash of Powers, the undermining and the manipulation of multilateralism and the trampling of international law — have only increased and deepened due to the global destabilization created by the pandemic.
We can no longer turn a blind eye. We no longer have the option or, if I may say, luxury to dither. The pandemic must be a wake-up call for our Organization, and a moment of redemption. That is possible because, in this challenge, we have seen signs of hope.
As a result of the crisis, the European Union, which many predicted would become divided and powerless, has taken a historic step towards unity, sovereignty, solidarity and a vision of the future. It was Europe that, together with its African partners, took the initiative at the Group of Twenty (G-20) to help the most vulnerable countries to tackle the pandemic and ease the debt burden that weighs on economies and jeopardizes the continent’s future. For the first time at a G-20 finance meeting, we agreed a debt moratorium for the poorest countries in Africa. It was Europe that, with its partners, created the ACT-A initiative so that resources to combat the pandemic would be accessible to all. Thanks to Europe, along with others, the World Health Assembly decided to learn lessons from the pandemic and improve early-warning and response systems to better prevent such crises. It was Europe that, together with its partners in Asia, America and Africa, has had the drive to develop, propose and provide tangible solutions through cooperation, solidarity and action.
In the future, we will need to take into account these new balances that are currently taking shape. We will need to rely on the strength of goodwill, because the world, as it is today, cannot come down to rivalry between China and the United States, no matter the global weight of those two great Powers, no matter the history that binds us together, particularly to the United States of America. The crisis, the collapse of our cooperation frameworks and the fragilities that I have just mentioned mean that we must rebuild a new order and that Europe must accept its full share of responsibility. That means upholding its values and its affinity for the future and building new solutions because we are not collectively condemned to a dance of power, which would, in a way, reduce us to merely being the sorry spectators of collective powerlessness. We have room to manoeuvre; it is up to us to make use of that space and to define our priorities in such an environment. We need to establish our choices clearly and build new partnerships. In the coming weeks and months, there will be fundamental choices to be made and decisions to be taken before our peoples and the international community. Those choices will have an immediate impact on the life of our nations, the existence of our citizens and the global course. We must not shy away from them, because it is precisely when things become shaky that we must get back to what is important. And I have very strongly believed, since the start of the present COVID-19 crisis, that this is not some sort of parenthesis that has opened and will reclose; this is what arises in a world beset by deep-seated crises stemming from our very interdependencies. There will undoubtedly one day be a cure for the pandemic, but there will be no miracle cure for the destruction of the modern order. There will be no miracle cure for the sort of paradox in which we are immersed. Our societies have never been so interdependent. And at the very moment when all this is taking place, never have we been so out of tune, so out of alignment, so incapable of building quick solutions — so wrapped up in our own situations as even to destroy the frameworks for cooperation we managed to build throughout the past decades.
This is why I wanted to lay out before this Assembly the five priorities on which France wishes — primarily with its European partners, but also with all the powers of goodwill, that is to say with all those prepared to engage in doing so — to lay the foundations for a new modern consensus that will allow us to act concretely in the world as it is.
The first principle, or the first objective, is the fight against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and against terrorism, the leading threats to our collective security.
The strategy of maximum pressure, pursued for several years, has not yet made it possible to put an end to the destabilizing activities of Iran, or to ensure that Iran will not be able to acquire nuclear weapons. That is why France, which, you will remember, was not the country that initiated the negotiations at the time, then designed the JCPOA. But France, with its German and British partners, will continue demanding the full implementation of the 2015 Vienna Agreement and will not accept the violations committed by Iran. However, we will not compromise on the activation of a mechanism that the United States, on its own, when leaving the agreement, is not in a position to activate. That would undermine the unity of the Security Council and the integrity of its decisions, and it would run the risk of further aggravating tensions in the region. But we need to build over time a useful framework for action, as I recalled before the General Assembly now more than two years ago — that is to say, the capacity to implement the 2015 agreement. First, promptly, to ensure that, in the long term, Iran will never gain access to nuclear weapons, but also to ensure that we will respond to Iran’s ballistic activity and destabilization of the region.
On North Korea, we supported the efforts of the United States of America to pave the way for negotiations to begin. Even though tangible results are yet to be attained, these initiatives were important, and what we are waiting for now are concrete gestures of commitment from North Korea. It must comply with the resolutions of the Security Council and engage promptly and in good faith in a process of complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. This is the only possible way to achieve a political solution and lasting peace on the Korean peninsula. It essential for regional stability and security as well as for international peace and security.
Likewise, we will not tolerate the use of chemical weapons in Europe, in Russia or in Syria. In the name of collective security, I repeat here to Russia the need for light to be fully shed on the attempted assassination of a member of the political opposition using a novichok nerve agent. This investigation must be swift and full, as we will enforce our red lines. And, in this area, France has always fully applied its red lines set since I have been President of the Republic. Our collective security also means fighting terrorism wherever necessary. Terrorism struck on French soil, and in our flesh, several times in recent years, with terrorist acts at times fomented in the very heart, at the epicentre, of Islamist terrorism. I am thinking, in particular, of the 2015 attacks planned in Syria. This is why France will always be strongly committed to the Levant and in support of Iraqi sovereignty, and stands alongside its Sahelian partners. In the Levant, we will remain committed members of the international coalition. We won an initial victory in ending the territorial caliphate. That victory did not signal an end to the war in the region. We will continue to fight against all terrorists in the context of the international coalition and alongside all our regional partners. Here I wish to recall the role Kurdish fighters played in Syria alongside the coalition against Da’esh and the terrorists. I also wish to recall the essential role that Iraq and its people played and continue to play in this fight. This is why France strongly supports all the initiatives Iraq is taking today and will continue to take for its sovereignty and its role in the fight against terrorism.
In the Sahel, France is, as you know, deeply involved, primarily alongside the five States of the Sahel. The Pau and Nouakchott summits made it possible to lay the groundwork for a coalition to strengthen the fight against our two enemies in this region, the Islamic State and Al-Qaida. Both organizations have suffered unprecedented setbacks in recent months. The objectives set in Pau, to focus on the tri-border region and the ISGS, produced unprecedented tangible results. We will continue these efforts. With the support of Barkhane and our European and American partners, the G-5 Sahel armies have regained the advantage, reclaiming positions that had been lost. This dynamic must continue. This is the very purpose of the coalition we are building. Events in Mali over recent weeks further remind us of the obvious: democracy and the fight against terrorism go hand in hand. These two struggles are inextricable. And only democracy, justice, the rule of law and development will restore lasting peace to the Sahel. Those who entered Mali in the name of these principles must not now betray them. They must put Mali irreversibly on track towards the restoration of civilian authority and the prompt holding of elections. France, like its African partners in particular, can only remain engaged on this condition. I will say it and repeat it very clearly: France is only present on Malian soil, as on the soil of other countries in the region, at the request of sovereign States and regional organizations. The very second those States want us to leave or believe they can fight terrorism on their own, we will withdraw. I therefore asked for reiteration, in Pau then in Nouakchott, of that request, that need for our involvement, which was also reconfirmed by the junta in Mali. And we will remain highly vigilant on this point. I believe in the sovereignty of peoples, and I think that our fight against terrorism can be meaningful and sustainable only if it is combined with respect for that sovereignty, along with effective democracy and a genuine development policy such as the one we designed with the Alliance for the Sahel, which, along with our European and African partners as well as the World Bank, we are continuing to develop in order to undertake constructive action on the ground.
The second priority for the coming months, in my view, is the demanding task of building peace and stability with respect for the sovereign equality of peoples. The grammar of peace and stability must be redefined, because the lines have shifted radically as a result of the crisis; in fact, they had changed well before it. The withdrawal of America, which acted as the guarantor of last resort of an international system that is now struggling; the hegemonic assertion of other Powers as a result of that disengagement; China’s projection beyond its borders; and the strengthening of European sovereignty are all underlying trends that should lead us to rethink the modalities of our collective action aimed at ensuring peace and security. Our policy principles in this respect must be clear, and we must no longer hesitate to apply them: respect for the sovereign rights of peoples, the consolidation of States based on the rule of law and of their means of implementation, and the requirement and responsibility to ensure the effective implementation of the decisions taken under the auspices of the United Nations.
That is exactly what we are doing in Lebanon, where the aspirations of the sovereign Lebanese people must be respected, heard and supported despite the unacceptable transgressions of the Lebanese political class. I wish to reiterate here my full support for the Lebanese people and my determination to act from where I am and with full respect for Lebanese sovereignty, in a spirit of friendship and expectation, as I have so often said, so that Lebanon can recover, so that life there can improve and in order to chart the course towards conciliation and a more effective democracy. But Lebanon is a treasure for all humankind — a treasure because it represents a form of exception, democracy and pluralism in a region that is caught in the grip of terrorism and hegemonic Powers. The United Nations, as it has been doing this summer and over the long term, must work together with civil society and non-governmental organizations in order to tackle immediate needs and begin reconstruction. Here too we will remain fully committed.
In Syria, the resumption of talks in Geneva under the auspices of the United Nations is a positive step, but this process cannot be limited to the drafting of a new constitution. It will have to involve the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in order to ensure respect for the aspirations and sovereignty of the Syrian people. France and its European partners will therefore continue to base the financing of reconstruction and the normalization of relations with Damascus on the implementation of a credible political solution, which is the only sustainable solution and the only one that will make it possible to eradicate terrorism in the region.
Peace in the Middle East remains a necessity, first and foremost for the Israelis and the Palestinians, but also for us all. I welcome the fact that Israel has been recognized by additional Arab countries. That is legitimate recognition. It is also a pledge of hope for the future. However, a just and lasting peace requires above all a path back to decisive negotiations that will allow the Palestinians to finally exercise their rights. There is no alternative to courageous negotiations, which will require agreement on the most difficult issues while respecting the legitimate aspirations of the parties to full recognition of their security and sovereignty. I do not believe in peace built on hegemony or humiliation, even if financial compensation is provided, because we know all too well that money cannot compensate for the humiliation of a people. It is up to us, collectively, to work towards that ambitious solution.
In Libya, the crisis is now having a profound impact on regional stability and has been aggravated by increased outside interference. In my view, Libya is the perfect example of the mistakes that we ourselves could make if we fail to respect the sovereignty of peoples. No Power can seek the good of a people unless the people agree to it and build it themselves through their chosen paths of transition. So today we have no choice but to take very concrete action. That is what Europe is doing to effectively and universally enforce the arms embargo decided by the United Nations. That embargo is currently being violated by several Powers. The situation is not sustainable. Several Powers have also decided to continue importing fighters from the Syrian theatre, exporting terrorism to the region and disregarding the interests of Libya, its neighbours in the Sahel and Europe. Collectively, we have not sufficiently spoken out against those actions, and we must take a much harder line in the weeks to come. We are working together with all our partners in the countries neighbouring Libya to achieve a sustainable ceasefire and then to set in motion a process enabling a political resolution to the conflict under the auspices of the United Nations. That is the initiative that France wishes to undertake in the coming weeks along with the Secretary-General of the United Nations. We must bring together all neighbouring countries to help reach a solution for Libya. Such renewed involvement on the part of Libya’s neighbours is vital in the long term.
In the eastern Mediterranean, we must resume effective and clarified dialogue to avert a fresh area of confrontation and the undermining of international law. The Mediterranean countries of the European Union expressed themselves clearly in that respect a few days ago in Ajaccio. We respect and are prepared to engage in dialogue with Turkey, but we expect it to respect European sovereignty and international law and provide clarification concerning its activities in Libya and in Syria. Insults are ineffective. Such words and actions have no place in responsible relations among States nor can they obfuscate Europe’s call for accountability. We Europeans are ready for dialogue and for the essential construction of a Pax Mediterranea, but not through intimidation or a bullying mentality. There must be respect for international law and cooperation and respect among allies. Those principles are non-negotiable.
In continental Europe, regarding the Ukrainian crisis, this year the Normandy format allowed us, along with the Federal Chancellor of Germany, to make some initial progress. But the situation in Belarus could lead to further division within our continent. The courage of the people of Belarus commands the admiration of us all. Their aspirations must be fulfilled, and we stand alongside them. I cannot stress this enough. A national political dialogue must be established and any external interference avoided. Along with the German Chancellor and the President of the European Council, we had the opportunity to hold discussions with President Putin in which we advocated for the mediation proposed by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. We see no other way forward. Neither interference nor guilty silence is a solution. Europe, in this area as well, will deliver with respect to its responsibility, its history and its geography. But believing in peace and stability in our region also means wanting to build a new grammar, as it were, for continental Europe, for lasting stability. That cannot be reduced to historical agreements or the dismantling of such agreements in recent years. When we speak of peace and stability, and of collective security for Europe, I cannot remain silent today about the fact that we are living in a situation where our security and stability greatly depend on agreements signed in the past between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and that such agreements have been gradually dismantled over the past decade. The end of the Treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Elimination of Their Intermediate-Range and Shorter-Range Missiles marked an important step that we must not remain silent about. That is why I hope that we, as Europeans, can re-engage in a comprehensive and ambitious discussion with all our neighbours with regard to our collective security and build a new framework that takes into account the end of these historic treaties. I also want to be very clear when I say that we will not delegate our collective security to Powers other than Europe.
Thirdly, we must protect our common goods. That is the responsibility of all, as it goes beyond our national interests and regional balances. Protecting our common goods is not at odds with the exercise of our sovereignty. On the contrary, it is the only way to truly preserve our sovereignty by maintaining control over our future. This is exactly what the crisis we face has unquestionably taught us once again.
During an epidemic, the health of one is the health of all. We have a unique opportunity to make the means for combating the pandemic into global public goods to which everyone should have access. That is the meaning behind the action we are taking under the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, which we will consolidate in the coming months across all pillars, particularly with regard to improving health systems. Health, a global public good, is a battle we have been waging throughout the past year, as well as in Lyon, mobilizing the international community once again to finance the fight against historic epidemics. This is what we will continue to do and we must step up our efforts in the months ahead.
Now more than ever, the climate and biodiversity must be central to our collective agenda — not in words, but deeds. This December marks five years since the signing of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We already know that the objectives we collectively set will not be achieved. The response to the pandemic can help us change course. The massive recovery plans adopted in all countries provide a historic opportunity to transform our economic and development models. That must be a core element of the European Union’s ambition, and I would like to thank the President of the European Commission for her strong commitment. It must also be a core aspect of the work of the Group of Seven and the Group of 20. It is vital. That is also why, to mark the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, I want France to mobilize the international community anew so that each and every one of us can take stock of our commitments without changing them and without muddying the waters, but instead by transparently renewing the commitment of all of our countries and regions with revitalized determination.
In the coming weeks, I am determined to see Europe reach a more ambitious agreement to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The President of the European Commission has set the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. That means we need to move more quickly and decisively towards an ambitious emission trading scheme, a carbon price floor and a carbon border tax. These measures must be taken together. One without the others would not be as effective.
On this basis and alongside our British and European partners, we will seek out the commitments of the major emitters ahead of the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and we will stand by our partners, particularly in Africa, to achieve our common goals. The December meeting will be essential in that regard. In November, we will host a summit of development banks in Paris to ensure that all financial flows contribute to an environmental and inclusive recovery, in line with the Paris Agreement. On biodiversity, which we now know is clearly linked to climate change and human health, as has been demonstrated, we will be organizing a One Planet Summit in Marseilles with the United Nations and the World Bank. This One Planet Summit will enable us to build an agenda of concrete actions for protected land and marine areas, agroecology, biodiversity financing and the fight against deforestation, as well as the protection of ecosystems and species. The oceans, the poles and rainforests are part of the common heritage of humankind. It is our duty to protect them and we will do so ahead of the key events for the United Nations, including the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on climate, biodiversity and the fight against desertification. As a show of commitment, I propose that we organize a summit next year in New York, ahead of the three Conferences of the Parties, so as to generate decisive impetus and produce tangible results.
The digital space is also a common good — a unique, open and trusted common good, which requires a new type of governance so that it is not captured, pirated and exploited. That is the meaning behind the initiatives that we are championing as part of the International Partnership on Information and Democracy of the Christchurch Appeal and the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence. We must consolidate each of these partnerships and make progress on the Aqaba Process. In that regard, I would like to thank the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the King of Jordan for their commitment to that agenda. These are now concrete solutions, but what we need now more than simply commitments is the action of major stakeholders and platforms, as well as and a commitment on the part of all of us to legislate and to regulate in our regions if they do not honour their commitments. The fight against hatred, the fight against terrorism and the creation of a common public order on the Internet are as important as technological innovation and freedom, because there can be no freedom without public order. It is up to us to create it through international action. I do not believe that the protection of freedom of expression can tolerate the discourse of terrorism, hate speech and anonymity in a way that permits the loss of inhibitions and is a cover for the violence it spurs. This agenda is vital to us all, and we will continue to take decisive action.
Finally, and I say this in the context of the epidemic that I just mentioned — education is an essential common good on which we will continue to work in the coming year. Hundreds of millions of our young people have dropped out of school because of the epidemic, but education, particularly the education of young girls, continues to be a priority, especially in Africa. Alongside President Macky Sail, we have committed to the Global Partnership for Education. We have raised new funds to finance the actions of the Partnership. The role today of the World Bank, of the United Nations, of the Global Partnership for Education, of UNESCO — the role also of our bilateral actions — must be strengthened in order to act even more effectively in the months and years to come in order to improve education, especially the education of young girls. This fight is not over — far from it — and we cannot forget that. In any event, it is at the heart of France’s commitment to defending and fighting for global public goods.
The fourth priority is the construction of a new era of globalization. The first era of globalization was initiated by the travels of Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan; it was that of discovery. It was also the era for the first invasions, of a kind of trial and error, of a form of fascination or sometimes of mutual misunderstandings.
The second era was that of the colonial empires and the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century, where globalization was through trade, the first opening up to the outside world, but also of the slave routes, the exploitation or development of some and the enslavement of others, the first population displacements and a reconfiguration of our world in the light of these acts of domination.
The third era began in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the opening of borders, the belief in the possibility that the circulation of goods and people and the subsequent generalization of the Internet would lead to convergences of interests, values and ideas.
I have gone through a quick presentation of history in my address to the Assembly, when each of these eras could be separated into many other periods. But, basically, it is this third era of globalization that for the past 10 years or so has been called into question. That is because there was a deep conviction — the teleology that accompanied it — that this globalization would be one of peace, a rapprochement of values and a universalization of respect for others. That has been called into question by the financial crisis, the transformations of the world, the return of peoples, the awakening of national consciences and, finally, the global pandemic. Further, it has been called into question by a deep crisis — the crisis of the Western middle classes that at one point began to doubt what this new order, called by some the happy globalization, could bring to them, given that it was these middle classes that, everywhere in the West, were often the variables in the economic, and then cultural, adjustments required for the world to be so open.
It would therefore be unjustifiable in a way to deny everything that the third era of globalization has made possible, to deny everything that this period has brought in terms of prosperity. It has lifted hundreds of millions of people out of extreme poverty, precisely through a redistribution of world trade and production. Openness has raised awareness of travel and circulation, which has also partly improved our relations. It would be dangerous to lock ourselves into a historical stuttering where we engage in generalized protectionism by enacting customs duties and starting trade wars, falling into a kind of doubt that would lead us to the isolation or logic of power struggles. In our view, the risk is responding to this crisis of globalization with a nationalist retreat, with the violence of populism and extremism, and with the return of dominant Powers.
But it is clear that global value chains need to be rethought today because the crisis has shown that dependence on such strategic sectors as health, digital technology, artificial intelligence as well as food can call into question the free exercise of sovereignty in the world as it is. We have also seen that there are good dependencies and there are dependencies that weaken us. We need to preserve international trade and openness because it is good for us economically and socially, because we cannot reinternalize everything, because this approach leads to just dependencies that require cooperation.
But complete dependence on certain forces, be they technological, food-related or industrial, creates vulnerabilities that no longer allow for the kind of balances the world order requires. Furthermore, the inequalities of this new world order have become unsustainable. We have lifted hundreds of millions of people out of the extreme poverty that could be found in some countries. We have partly reduced North- South inequalities, but within some of our countries we have deepened inequalities. Furthermore, this new order makes the course of things play out in ways that are democratically unsustainable. Moreover, we have created a globalized consciousness that is today a kind of globalization, no longer of the knowledge that formed the basis of the Internet, but of feeling and resentment.
For each of these crises, we must provide a response. This is the strategy that the European Union, together with other Powers, is developing. It is imperative that our international rules be adapted to take account of these new realities and provide ourselves with the means for more balanced international cooperation anchored in respect for the sovereignty of each country and for the benefit of all. In this respect, the fight against inequalities must clearly be at the heart of this reconsidered globalization. France has taken initiatives that have yielded results on women’s entrepreneurship, on the Global Partnership for Education and on health for all, in order to fight against all inequalities of fate. But we must go further.
In a way, it is clear that this world in which we have lived was based on an academic consensus that gave way to a political and market consensus, which has often been called the Washington Consensus. It has run its course. Together, we must lay the foundations for a more just, more balanced, fairer and more sustainable form of globalization. We must reflect upon the terms of a globalization that accepts revisiting and rethinking the meaning of just sovereignty and fair trade, integrating the fight against inequalities in all their forms at the heart of its model, be they in terms of gender, social or economic condition, as well as the fight against global warming and in favour of biodiversity — one that allows for the sustainable integration of conditions for a new equilibrium in the world.
In this regard, as well, at the Paris Forum in a few weeks’ time, we will also have to make concrete proposals, and the work undertaken with the European Commission, the International Monetary Fund and many other forces for good will be essential. Along with Europe, Africa will be the driving force behind this redefinition of the terms of globalization, which is why we will continue to pursue our efforts within the framework of the initiative we established to help African countries face the pandemic at all levels — health, economic, social and humanitarian. In addition, the Group of Twenty summit in November will be a decisive meeting for the implementation of the debt moratorium that we have agreed upon and for going further. We must also improve our support for the immense energies of civil societies and the youth of the continent, which are its strength and its future. This is the underlying meaning of the initiatives we will carry out in the coming months with the diasporas and in support of the African private sector.
Finally, the fifth objective that I want to propose to the international community is enhancing respect for international humanitarian law and the fundamental rights of each individual. For me, this objective is essential to the very survival of the United Nations. Indeed, we have been witnessing a series of setbacks in this area and often too much silence. Since the United Nations established World Humanitarian Day, 5,000 personnel have been attacked and 1,800 have been murdered. The past year has been the deadliest yet. My thoughts go out in particular to these young French women and men who, within the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, worked in that very context, in the Niger, and were killed in atrocious conditions last August. No, the United Nations cannot sit idle in the face of such setbacks. This is why, with French non-governmental organizations and our international partners, we are building an initiative to ensure the effectiveness of international law, the protection of humanitarian personnel and the fight against impunity. The humanitarian space is a common heritage that we must protect by guaranteeing access to civilian populations and the protection of the personnel who support them. We have seen inexcusable setbacks on this subject. We have seen unacceptable practices, including on the part of permanent members of the Security Council, in Syria in particular. The neutrality of humanitarian action must be respected and its criminalization curbed.
Taking up our responsibilities in the humanitarian field also means showing solidarity and humanity in the area of migration. The situation at Moria, in Greece, is very difficult today. France, alongside Germany and its partners, will shoulder its responsibilities to welcome refugees, and we must all act together in the management of migratory flows so as to put an end to the trafficking of human beings, fatal crossings and routes of necessity. This will be at the heart of the European agenda for the coming weeks. I will have the opportunity to come back to it. We must step up the fight against these traffickers and live up to our responsibilities.
Finally, fundamental rights are not a Western idea that can be treated as interference on the part of all those who refer to them. These are the principles of our Organization, enshrined in texts that the States Members of the United Nations have freely consented to sign and to respect. That is the reason why, in particular, France has requested that an international mission, under the aegis of the United Nations, be dispatched to Xinjiang in order to take into account our collective concerns on the situation of the Uyghur Muslim minority.
And it is because we cannot tolerate the fact that, 25 years after the Beijing Conference, the rights of women throughout the world are experiencing a deep decline that we will organize next summer the Generation Equality Forum, alongside UN-Women and civil society, for the emancipation of all, the education of girls and the real and effective respect of human rights.
These are the five principles on which France wants to rebuild, with Member States, the foundations of the international order so that the foundations of our Organization are not washed away by the pandemic. On the contrary, as Winston Churchill said, if you do not take change by the hand, it will take you by the throat. This requires the establishment of functional international cooperation based on clear rules, defined and respected by all. Multilateralism is not just an act of faith; it is an operational necessity. No country will emerge from this ordeal on its own. International cooperation can be difficult, but it is objectively imperative.
However, we can no longer settle for a multilateralism of words that merely serves to accept the lowest common denominator as a way of hiding deep differences under a facade of consensus. We have to change our methods, reverse the terms of the contract, raise our voices loud and clear when some people pride themselves on adhering to alliances and their principles, organizations and their principles, only to trample on them in reality. Let us be honest, clear-headed and demanding with one another. Contemporary multilateralism must also involve international organizations, private actors, businesses, non-governmental organizations, researchers and citizens so that everyone is involved in the actions undertaken. It will be built on the basis of solid, respected and verified agreements among partners in good faith, around clear objectives and rules, and with real responsibility and accountability mechanisms.
This is why, at the Paris Peace Forum in November, we will strive with our European and African partners, and with all those in Asia, America and elsewhere who wish to join us, to consolidate the bases of this new international consensus, to the benefit of the future of our Organization. I do not believe in some great day of refoundation. I believe in determined, methodical, rigorous work to build a contemporary international order that will spare future generations the scourge of war, to assert human rights and equality between nations, and to promote social progress in greater freedom. That is the very promise of our Charter. It is timely. I believe in the strength of will and the value of sincerity and courage. And speaking to you at this very moment, despite the distance created by the screen, I remember the gaze of a Lebanese child I met a few days ago, who had lost everything — absolutely everything — but who had sworn to fight against all odds for what she believed in. I remember, too, the young French people murdered in the Niger because they believed in a world of humanity, solidarity and fraternity. But those I address today surely do and must have similar memories, which oblige us to act, excludes cynicism, and forbids us from losing hope or taking the easy way out. There are lives, but above all there are young girls and boys all over the world who get involved because they believe our words, because they live for and by our principles. If we betray them, it will be our fault above all if they are disillusioned or lose everything. So it is up to us. I know we can do it. In any case, wherever we are, we will do everything we can to act and I know that many of may counterparts are ready to do so as well. I count on each and every one of them. Thank you.


Mr President of the General Assembly,
Mr Secretary General of the United Nations,
Heads of State and Heads of Government,
Distinguished Delegates.
Mr President,
Let me warmly congratulate you on your election as President of the 75th session of the General Assembly and convey our deep appreciation to Professor Tijjani Mohammad-Bande for his able leadership during the last session of the General Assembly.
This session of the General Assembly is taking place in very special and unique circumstances. Never before had we had to forgo the opportunity to meet, network, and strengthen our bonds among our countries and discuss matters of global concern. I commend the Secretary General and his team for putting in place the business continuity plan which has allowed the UN to pursue its work.
Mr President,
The choice of this year’s theme is indeed very appropriate — “The future we want, the United Nations we need: reaffirming our collective commitment to multilateralism — confronting COVID-19 through effective multilateral action”. This is exactly what we need.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the fore our collective vulnerabilities, as viruses know no borders. Few are those countries which have not been affected, and many have been affected very badly. We are deeply saddened by the hundreds of thousands of lives lost and the millions of people still afflicted across the world.
The social, economic, financial and health impacts will take several months, if not years, to be nullified.
In Mauritius we had to take urgent and drastic measures to stop the spread of the pandemic. A sanitary confinement was imposed immediately after the first outbreak as from 20 March, accompanied by the timely and effective implementation of a comprehensive package of public health response and containment measures which enabled us to significantly contain the spread of the pandemic and make our country COVID safe. We now only have a few imported cases which are being carefully monitored.
I must express my Government’s sincere thanks and gratitude to the World Health Organization for the timely advice it has been giving and which continues to guide our decision-making process for reopening our borders.
This pandemic which comes on top of the ongoing global crises of inequality and climate change, has exposed and exacerbated the vulnerabilities and inequalities faced by countries of the South in general and in small island states such as Mauritius in particular.
Decades of hard-won development gains have been eroded, and lives and livelihoods of many of our people have been disrupted.
The services industry, and the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors have all been severely affected.
In the short term, like many other countries, we are focusing on preserving employment which is our pressing concern, and in the long term we will chart a path that leads to a more inclusive and sustainable development. Our topmost priority is to avoid the risk of a possible resurgence through a second wave of COVID-19 because that would be catastrophic for our economy.
Mr President,
The pandemic has shown that more than 4.4 billion people are without any form of social safety net or health care. The pursuit of Universal Health Coverage should be at the center of human development. This is the surest way to move closer to a world where everyone benefits from the human right to health.
Despite all efforts to contain the pandemic, it is clear to us that the only way to overcome it would be through the development of an effective and safe vaccine. And we all know this is not something that all of us can engage in. In developing and producing such vaccines, multinationals and governments must ensure that there is a fair distribution at a price that is affordable to all. Our collective needs have to be taken into account and it is only through our commitment to multilateralism that we will be able to succeed.
Human health and planetary health are intrinsically linked; this is not a time for playing politics or making excessive profits from the vaccine.
This pandemic cannot be defeated as a divided world.
The lives of millions, the economic welfare of billions and the social stability of the world are at stake. Global solidarity and reinforced multilateralism are, therefore, paramount.
Mr President,
Hardly had we had control on the pandemic, that Mauritius became the scene of an environmental disaster following the wreck of a bunker which collapsed on our reef within our internal waters.
The ship MV Wakashio ran aground on the pristine reefs at Pointe D’Esny in the South Eastern region of Mauritius on 25 July, following which around 800 tons of fuel oil leaked from its breached tanks which quickly propagated inside our lagoons and the surrounding areas. Bad weather further complicated the spread and restricted our ability to contain it.
On 16th August the ship split into two.
This oil spill is the worst environmental disaster that Mauritius has ever faced. We are still assessing the damage to the mangroves and the coastal areas. We wish to thank all the countries and the UN system which rushed to assist Mauritius during these difficult times. I have a special word of thanks and gratitude for the people of Mauritius whose display of solidarity and spontaneous support helped protect our Ramsar sites and other environmentally sensitive areas.
A major campaign of cleanup and general assessment was undertaken but we know for a fact that mangroves and other areas will take time to return to their original state. This disaster, apart from the damage that it has caused to nature, has also adversely affected the livelihood of the fishermen and other people involved in coastal and marine activities.
A second naval incident in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Sri Lanka only a few weeks later has brought to the fore the need to put in place a robust regional disaster prevention and management system that can be promptly deployed to limit the damage from oil spills. At the same time, there is a need for a review of governance rule concerning bunkers and tankers. Mauritius happens to be on an important and busy sea lane between the west and the Far East and is, therefore, directly concerned.
We call on the International Maritime Organisation to address these matters as a matter of urgency. Weaknesses in the current liability and regulatory regime for oil spills and for environmental catastrophes need to be addressed promptly.
Mr President,
Once the Pandemic will have been eradicated, and we hope that this happens soon, we will wake up to a new reality — a reality for which there is no reset button. For many countries, the economy will likely suffer by a 14 to 20 per cent contraction with severe job losses and acute poverty. The road to the achievement of the SDGs will become longer and, in some cases, unattainable within the time frame. Added to these woes, we are witnessing severe weather conditions and other calamities such as wild fires with their lots of devastation. The Pandemic has also resulted in the concentration on national needs at the expense of, and in direct competition with, the outer world. Borders have had to be closed and as a result, we are also witnessing unrest in many parts of the world where citizens are on the streets voicing their frustrations. We, as leaders, need to be attentive to these developments. As much as our efforts at national level are crucial, there is an imperative need for us at global level to take all necessary actions to ensure that the world economy does not sink into depression, that we get back on track on the SDGs, that we recommit to our obligations under the Paris Agreement and more importantly, avoid any action likely to create more tension that could lead to further economic despair. This is the time when multilateralism cannot be jeopardized or put in doubt. The pandemic has taught us that no one is immune to it. The only way to fight it is to do it together, whether it is in the area of prevention, cure or reconstruction.
We salute the Secretary-General’s initiative aimed at setting out a vision for delivering the SDGs over the course of the Decade for Action and recovering better from COVID-19. We also commend the initiative of Canada and Jamaica on financing for development. Likewise, we are thankful to all the other countries and organizations that made significant amounts of funds available to face the pandemic. What we need now is long term planning accompanied by adequate funds to ensure that affected countries can pursue their development path, for economies to grow and for the populations to survive. Access to funds should be made less complex, and the discrimination linked to categorization of income status should be suspended at least until such time that these countries are able to stabilize their economies.
Mr President,
We appreciate the important work undertaken in respect of reaching a legally binding instrument on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. As we move to the drafting stage, it will be important to provide better clarity on marine organisms in the extended continental shelf of coastal states. In our view, the coastal state should enjoy full rights on those organisms whether they are found on the seabed or above.
In the 75 years of its existence, the world has undergone profound changes. By the sheer fact that the membership of the UN has quadrupled and the poles of economic power have been shifting, it is essential that the composition of the Security Council should reflect a fair, equitable and geographically representative body. Our United Nations will be strengthened when we all feel well represented and have a say in the decision-making process. That is why we believe the African continent must have its legitimate seats both in the permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council. A reformed and enlarged Security Council with all regions and SIDS represented will restore confidence and enhance legitimacy of its work and our organization itself.
A rules-based international order with the UN and multilateralism at its core, is the guarantor for peace and shared prosperity.
It is important for all of us to reaffirm our conviction to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations which is the cornerstone of International law. This remains timeless, universal and an indispensable foundation for a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world. It is also important that the institutions that we have collectively created operate independently and their rulings respected by all countries irrespective of their size and power.
Mr President,
As the General Assembly is aware, the decolonization of Mauritius remains incomplete despite the clear and unambiguous Advisory Opinion given at its request by the International Court of Justice on 25 February 2019 which determined that the Chagos Archipelago is an integral part of Mauritius, and UN General Assembly Resolution 73/295 which required the United Kingdom to end its administration of the Archipelago by 22 November of last year.
The UK continues to ignore the International Court of Justice as well as its obligations under international law by maintaining its unlawful occupation of the Chagos Archipelago. The General Assembly, given its crucial role in the process of decolonization, must take all necessary actions to ensure that all remnants of colonialism are dismantled as soon as possible, especially as we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations.
The General Assembly has also been tasked with assisting Mauritius in the resettlement of the forcibly displaced inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago. I need not recall the horrendous conditions in which these innocent persons were made to leave their homes. That by itself was a major crime, but what makes it even worse is the systematic manner in which they continue to be prevented from returning.
Mr President,
COVID-19 has completely disrupted our activities for the past 6 months. We have been unable to have regular in-person meetings, hence our inability to pursue efficiently the implementation of Resolution 73/295. We will, therefore, have to attend to this forcefully and effectively as soon as the situation permits.
We are nonetheless thankful to the Secretary-General for his report and the UN Secretariat for amending the UN world map to reflect the correct appurtenance of the Chagos Archipelago as part of the territory of Mauritius.
I would also like to express our gratitude to all the Member States and organizations for their continued support to the completion of the decolonization process of Mauritius.
As regards Tromelin which also forms an integral part of the territory of Mauritius, we look forward to the early resolution of the dispute over the island,in the spirit of friendship that characterizes the relations between Mauritius and France.
Thank you.


In the name of God the Merciful and the Compassionate,
Your Excellency, President Volkan Bozkir,
It is our pleasure at the outset to congratulate you and your friendly country, the Republic of Turkey, on your election as the President of the United Nations General Assembly at its seventy-fifth session. We trust that your skill and wisdom will enable you to efficiently guide the work of our Assembly.
It is also our pleasure to express our thanks and appreciation to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of the friendly Republic of Nigeria, for his efforts while presiding over the previous session.
The United Nations marks its seventy-fifth anniversary this year. We take this opportunity to express our thanks and deep appreciation to the United Nations and to His Excellency Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and his team in this international Organization. We thank them for their tireless efforts to maintain international peace and security. We emphasize that the Sultanate of Oman stands ready to continue the current cooperation between us and with all the Member States to achieve the noble objectives of the United Nations.
The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed major changes on our daily lives. Despite the challenges, we must adapt to the new way of life and remain optimistic about the future. We need to envisage the best ways to cooperate in order to achieve the common goals of our peoples and States. In that context, the international community has a humanitarian duty to ensure the fair distribution of resources to curb the spread of the pandemic, in particular the rollout of vaccines in the least developed regions, where medical facilities and capabilities are limited.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused profound economic challenges. We therefore call upon donor nations and institutions to do their utmost to facilitate the process of debt restructuring, while paying special attention to helping the most affected countries in a way that accelerates growth and stimulates the economy.
His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik has underscored that the Sultanate of Oman will follow the wise policy outlined by His Majesty, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said A1 Said, the architect of modern Oman and mastermind of its foreign policy and its international relations over the past 50 years. The Sultanate of Oman adopts the path of dialogue and encourages it.
My country’s Government supports the values of tolerance, collective action and peaceful coexistence with everyone. We believe in the principles of justice, equality, good-neighbourliness, the rule of law, non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and respect for the sovereignty of countries. We stress the peaceful settlement of disputes, based on the provisions and principles of the United Nations Charter and international law. It is an obligation that we should all honour.
While my country supports the sovereign right of States to determine the actions they deem fit for their national interests, our common interests make it incumbent upon us all to support peace and participate positively in efforts aimed at ensuring that peace prevails as a global culture that fosters progress and prosperity. Accordingly, the Sultanate of Oman reiterates, from this international platform, its support for the legitimate and just demands of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish an independent Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the basis of international law, relevant Security Council resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, which is based on the principle of land for peace and the two-State solution.
My country calls on all stakeholders in the Republic of Yemen to join constructive dialogue in order to reach a peaceful and consensus-based solution to the ongoing conflict. We call on all parties to support the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen. We also call on the international community, in particular donor countries and organizations, to intensify their efforts to provide and deliver humanitarian supplies in the light of the critical situation and tragic suffering of the people of that Arab country.
We would like to express our support for the Lebanese Republic. We call on the international community to support Lebanon’s reconstruction efforts and help it grapple with the impact of the recent tragic explosion in the port of Beirut.
With regard to Libya, the Sultanate of Oman welcomes the ceasefire agreement and ongoing work to establish a mechanism for the resumption of oil production and export, as well as the management of oil revenues for the benefit of the people of Libya. We hope that they enjoy security, stability and prosperity through the launching of a peaceful settlement that will put an end to division and build harmony and unity among the one people of that country.
This year, the Sultanate of Oman has taken important steps to restructure and modernize its administrative apparatus in support of the current phase of economic development within Oman Vision 2020-2040. This is based on the principles of the basic statute of the State. It is worth mentioning that our economic system is guided by the principles of the market economy. Undoubtedly, this will enhance the value of our geographic location and its importance in international trade in the twenty-first century. It is also worth mentioning that my country enjoys political stability, touristic attractions and diverse investment opportunities in various areas and development sectors.
Oman actively participated in the various international and regional forums that resulted in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Sultanate sought to translate its commitments into the key components reflected in its ninth five-year development plan and in Oman Vision 2020-2040. We are determined to continue working to achieve the economic, social and environmental dimensions of the Sustainable Development Goals on time.
There is no doubt that the young people of any country represent hope for its present and future and are key to its development. Therefore, Governments must prioritize young people and provide them with the resources necessary to harness their potential and develop their talents in order to ensure sustainable development. In this vein, I note that the Sultanate of Oman pays continuous attention to youth, while keeping pace with developments throughout the world. This will help young people garner greater capabilities, knowledge and active participation in the process of construction and development.
We live in a world of continuous and successive transformations that have engendered scientific and technological advancement. If humankind is to prevail in this new world, we will always need to find ways and means of working together better and more effectively to move from one phase to the next.
In conclusion, allow me to convey to you our best and most sincere greetings from the Sultanate of Oman and express our best wishes to our brothers and sisters all over the world, wishing them all the best of health and prosperity.
May peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you.


Mr. President,
Secretary-General,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and gentlemen,
I wish to convey my heartfelt congratulations to you, Mr. President, upon your election as the President of the current session of the General Assembly. I pledge my delegation’s full support and cooperation in the discharge of your onerous responsibilities.
This year the member States are proudly celebrating the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. The UN is the optimal structure of multilateral cooperation. It was, indeed, a tremendous achievement when the world’s nations united under the spirit of the UN Charter, set out to resolve their differences and hurdles through negotiations and cooperation.
Along with progress and development came complex and formidable challenges. Our responsibility to address and overcome them has equally increased. The most glaring example is the current 75th session of the UN General Assembly, which is taking place amid a worldwide fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
In today’s interdependent world, infectious diseases are spreading exponentially, adversely affecting the economy, social welfare, humanitarian causes, security and human rights.
It is a huge lesson and warning that humankind has been caught off guard and swept by the pandemic in the 21st century with its highly developed medical science. In this time of hardship, multilateralism has taken on an even more significant role. There is a critical need for networked, inclusive and well-timed responses based on unity and cooperation.
We have no doubt that upon release of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine, the United Nations and its system organizations will play a major role in ensuring equal access to the vaccine for developing and least developed countries, as well as vulnerable groups, such as children, women, the elderly and indigenous peoples.
We call on international financial organizations and developed countries to continue their support and assistance to developing countries with limited resources and weak social protection systems in their economic recovery and fight against the deadly pandemic.
Mr. President,
This year ushered in the Decade of Action to deliver the SDGs. However, it is also the year where COVID-19 restrictions and quarantine are in place worldwide, and the pandemic has not only aggravated the existing challenges, but also reversed some of the hard-won gains made since 2015. Thus, all Governments need to act decisively to fight the pandemic, step up their efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and fulfill their responsibilities in a more innovative and flexible way.
As a result of a timely containment strategy, mobilization of all possible resources while taking into account the lessons learnt from others, Mongolia has so far no local transmission and no pandemic-related death.
The pandemic, climate change and other threats that have raised alarm worldwide keep reminding humankind of the overriding need to cherish the Earth and live in harmony with nature. The tradition of treasuring, cherishing and protecting the Earth is deeply embedded in the nomadic way of life and the national identity of Mongols.
Interdependence between humans and the natural world is at the root of human existence. To this day we have done everything not to bend down under the overwhelming forces of nature. However, our struggle was not to adapt to nature, but rather to defeat it. Day by day we realize that the fight to win is what is causing defeat, while the fight to seek harmony is the foundation of our existence.
The fact that Mongolia is one of the few countries with zero local transmission of COVID-19 can be traced to our centuries-long tradition of living in harmony with nature. We need to unite our minds and forces to live in concord with nature, rather than dominate it with the help of technological progress.
In fact, nations around the world owe a duty to future generations to protect the Earth and ensure that every individual leads an eco-friendly life.
Mr. President,
For the past 75 years, the United Nations has been fulfilling its responsibility of uniting the world’s nations under one roof and steering them towards growth and development. However, the need for the UN to be more in sync with changing environment, enhance its work and change its working methods is nothing but compelling, if it is to rise to the emerging challenges of international relations. It must take even more innovative and bold action to that end.
Let us joint efforts to build a reinvigorated United Nations and grow together for the sake of Mother Earth and peace and prosperity of all humankind!
I thank you for attention.


Mr. President,
Ladies and gentlemen,
For good reason, this is the first time that the high week of the General Assembly’s commemorative session is being held in such an unusual format.
Naturally, no speaker can ignore the topic of the coronavirus pandemic.
The pandemic has affected us all. Moreover, the problem will remain with us, at least for the near future.
Leading experts and analysts are actively talking about its global consequences and impact on world politics and economy.
Many assessments speak of “paradigm shifts” and “tectonic changes”.
Perhaps. Time will tell.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it clear that the “international community” that we all talk about so often has, in fact, failed to live up to our expectations at the peak of the crisis.
The logic that it is easier to cope with the challenge going it alone has obviously prevailed.
Virtually everybody returned in droves to their apartments in their countries of origin, closed their borders and stopped contacts with the outside world!
In responding to the challenge, Belarus did not follow what it considered to be a dubious path. We did not close down or isolate ourselves.
We immediately asked ourselves the question: why have we been promoting globalization and opening ourselves up to one another for the past decades?
We initially believed and continue to believe in the success of collective efforts. We relied and continue to rely on the potential of the “international community.
Unfortunately, it has not been without exploitation, whereby some countries have begun to accuse others of allegedly doing the wrong thing in the fight against the pandemic.
That is for the simple reason that the “international community” has not developed a common approach. It is therefore probably not about the pandemic but about something else.
In the current situation, the specific national context became the determining factor in the fight against the coronavirus.
In Belarus, we chose our own approach.
It was based on two components to optimally preserve the viability of the State, primarily its economy, and ensure the maximum protection of the population.
Our approach, as the situation in Belarus has shown, paid off. And the situation concerning the spread of the coronavirus disease in the world today fully confirms this.
There will be many more assessments and conclusions, but today we can already say with certainty that the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, on the one hand, revealed the urgent need for a “strong” State and, on the other, clearly showed how interconnected the world is.
No country can make real progress in addressing a global issue if others are left behind or on the sidelines.
Together we must turn the crisis into an opportunity to improve the world. We must learn to work together.
The pandemic has temporarily overshadowed other world problems and conflicts, including those in the area of security, which, unfortunately, are not decreasing.
In that regard, during the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations (UN) the end of the Second World War, as a founding member of the United Nations, the Republic of Belarus appeals to Member States, particularly the members of the Security Council, to take special responsibility for the Organization’s operations and the implementation of its tasks.
In this context, I would also like to recall one of the outstanding historical figures of the United Nations — Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former Secretary- General Dag Hammarskjold, whose 115th birthday was commemorated this year. He is considered one of the inspirations and tireless promoters of the concept of preventive diplomacy. Dag Hammarskjold, who died on a crisis management mission in a hotspot, believed that only mutually respectful dialogue and honest negotiations among parties to a potential conflict in its early stages could prevent a war from igniting.
This is what the world lacks now.
We have forgotten what dialogue is, and, even if we do remember, we have forgotten how to use it.
I must note that for several years Belarus has been actively calling for the resumption of a broad dialogue on international security, aimed at overcoming the current contradictions in relations among States. Such dialogue would enable a return to building a just and effective global order based on multilateralism.
Accordingly, Belarus advocates and supports pragmatic initiatives within the UN in order to fully realize the potential of the Organization to maintain international peace and security.
This year once again, in the General Assembly and the First Committee, we will propose a draft resolution on banning new weapons of mass destruction, which traditionally enjoys the universal support of virtually every Member States of the Organization. We call on all States to co-sponsor and support the draft resolution.
In referring once again to the anniversary of the end of the Second World War, I would like to stress our deep conviction as one of the countries that suffered the greatest losses in it.
The tragic lesson of the twentieth century’s worst catastrophe must remain a key component of “herd immunity” to the emergence of new global and regional confrontations.
As the Charter of the United Nations states, our Organization was founded precisely to “save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”.
Cooperation based on the principles of the Charter is the only alternative to “natural selection” and “survival of the fittest”.
Given the modern technology and information capabilities available now not only to States, but also non-State actors, we must be fully aware of the risks caused by political, economic and military confrontation, irresponsible competition and the provocation of undesirable countries.
And there is one more important point.
We regretfully note the growing attempts by some countries to abuse the UN as a tribune, including the Security Council, to satisfy their narrow political ambitions.
I am referring to, among other things, the focused attention of certain Western countries on the situation in Belarus, which currently is difficult owing to circumstances imposed on us, from, above all, the outside.
Let me remind everyone that the people made their decision during the presidential elections in Belarus in August, which was to choose in favour of a stable and prosperous State, peace, good neighbourliness and sustainable development.
However, instead of respecting that choice, we see aspirations to influence the situation in the country.
Since the failed attempt to impose a “colour revolution” on us, we have experienced external interference aimed at undermining the State system.
Individual statements, bordering on cynicism, by some of our Western neighbours about their alleged concern for Belarus’ sovereignty and welfare are in fact nothing more than attempts to plunge the country into chaos and anarchy, which will set Belarus back in its development by many years.
We urge our partners to show wisdom, restraint and impartiality.
Interference in our internal affairs or sanctions or other restrictive measures against Belarus will have the opposite effect and will harm absolutely everyone. We have already experienced this in the past.
The future of the Republic of Belarus will be decided by its own people, as it has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout our country’s history. It will be decided not at the barricades, but through civilized dialogue, including through the process of constitutional reform, which has already begun in the country.
I would like to stress once again that we firmly reject the practice of any unilateral coercive measures in international relations.
A vivid example of such actions has been the decades-long trade, financial and economic blockade on Cuba by its northern neighbour — the United States.
The maintenance of these “suffocating” instruments of pressure on sovereign States — without even considering the situation caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic — poses a specific threat fraught with lasting repercussions. Trade wars and arbitrary financial and economic sanctions as an instrument of political pressure must stop.
Another critical issue is the “health” of the global economy, which is now in serious trouble. The pandemic threatens to undo all that has been achieved since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The urgent need to change approaches to socioeconomic development in the postpandemic era is becoming increasingly clear. Belarus supports proposals to increase investment in health care, infrastructure and education, providing broad access to digital technologies and ensuring the proper management of natural resources.
We share in endorsing approaches to boost economic recovery by rethinking the economic model in terms of promoting the “green economy”.
For its part, Belarus continues to move consistently towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, based on the 2030 Agenda. The country’s efforts are aimed at achieving a balance between economic development and the protection of the environment, while promoting the principles of the green economy, implementing the “smart city” concept and developing precision agriculture. Such work is carried out with the involvement of all stakeholders within the country and in close cooperation with international partners.
We see partnering with all stakeholders at both national and international levels as one of the key factors to accelerating the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. As a middle-income country, Belarus believes that a separate UN strategy to promote sustainable development — in line with similar documents for other groups of developing countries — is necessary for the successful achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals for that category of States.
In conclusion, I would like to note a very simple but important life lesson: “Every cloud has a silver lining”. We have born witness to transformational events.
Indeed, 2020 has been a special year for the world, forcing us to a restructure the life of humankind. A new history is being written before our eyes — the world will no longer be the same as it was before. As we learn our lessons, we must not carry past mistakes into the future. We must build a new world — friendly to people, free from wars and conflicts, stable, predictable and prosperous. A world that will arm itself with the benefits of technological progress and use them for development, not destruction.
These days one hears a lot of criticism of the UN. Sometimes it is justified, sometimes it is not.
The Republic of Belarus emphatically shares the following message: the Organization must keep pace with the times.
We need an effective and efficient UN Security Council that will put an end to numerous wars and armed conflicts, including taking into account the need to preserve territorial integrity and comply with international law.
We want to see a more active General Assembly — making timely important decisions on the entire spectrum of pressing world problems.
We are all interested in seeing the Economic and Social Council, like the entire UN development system, provide more effective assistance to States in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Renewed with time, the Organization will remain needed by all people on the planet.
The Republic of Belarus is a signatory country to the UN Charter, assuming responsibility for promoting the implementation of the main goals of the Organization. Our country will continue to work for the preservation and development of the creative and unifying principle of the UN.


Mr President, Secretary General, a year ago, we were all looking forward to what, we were sure, would be the grand celebrations at this year’s General Assembly to mark the 75th anniversary of the United Nations. Instead of the anticipated major gathering for the celebrations, we have been forced to stay at home, and employ technology to make our addresses to the Assembly.
It is not only these celebrations that have had to be adapted to changed circumstances; our world has been turned upside down, and we have all been forced to learn new ways of doing things.
It would have been implausible to suggest, but we have learnt not to shake hands or hug our loved ones. For many people, the most difficult thing to deal with in these uncertain and unsettling times has been the silence forced on churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship. Singing in groups has become a dangerous activity, and a major item which is preoccupying the attention of world leaders is how to send and keep our children in school safely. All the sacred economic rules by which we have been urged to conduct our affairs in the past century have been thrown out, at least for the moment. Indeed, all our best laid plans have turned out to be of no use, when faced with the ravages of an unknown virus. We, in Ghana, have, however, chalked modest successes in trying to defeat the virus through resolute actions by my Government, the cooperation of the Ghanaian people, and the grace of the Almighty.
Mr President, the lessons are clear: we all fell together and looked into the abyss together. Even as we closed our borders and shut airports, the reality dawned on all of us that we had to rely on each other to be able to get out of the trouble we were in. We have all gone down together, we should all rise together.
If the answer to this pandemic lies in finding a vaccine, that vaccine should be made available to the whole world, rich and poor alike, developed and developing, all races and all beliefs. The virus has taught us that we are all at risk, and there is no special protection for the rich or a particular class. For as long as the virus exists, whatever medical solutions that might be found should be made available for all in aid of our common humanity.
We are told by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that COVID-19 has brought in its wake “a significant reduction in the financing available to developing economies”, again, with the Organisation estimating that “external private finance inflows to developing economies could drop by $700 billion in 2020 compared to 2019 levels, exceeding the immediate impact of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis by 60 per cent”. The restructuring of the global financing architecture, to enable access to fresh capital by developing nations, now more than ever, is of immediate necessity, if the gains chalked in transforming their economies are not to be eroded, and the standards of living of their peoples are not to be dangerously lowered.
Now is the time for this much discussed and much analysed institution of ours, the United Nations, to rise to the occasion.
One of its agencies, the WHO, has been in the eye of the storm during this crisis, and all of us have to learn the lessons that have emerged. Yes, we should have arguments about the UN and its agencies and their roles, but, after 75 years, the arguments should be like the ones we have in our families, and not about their very existence.
We should correct the longstanding injustice that the current structure and composition of the UN, particularly the Security Council, represents for the nations of Africa. Established in those far-off days of 1945, membership of the Council does not presently reflect the realities of the 21st century. The time has come for the adoption and endorsement of Africa’s Common Position on UN Reform, as set out in the Ezulwini Consensus, so we can create a modern United Nations fit for purpose in our time.
We should also focus our attention on the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially as we mark the beginning of the Decade of Action to deliver the goals and targets of Agenda 2030. Mr President, as co-chair of the SDG Group of Eminent Advocates, Ghana believes that the effective implementation of the 17 SDGs remains critical to making the multilateral system relevant in addressing the global challenges we face.
Indeed, one such is the threat to the consolidation of democratic governance, especially in Africa, in the face of turbulent conditions prevailing in several parts of Africa. As the newly-elected Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), I say that one immediate test confronting the Community is the political situation in Mali, following the coup d’etat that ousted President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, which has been compounded further by the activities of terrorists and violent extremists, who are in control of large swathes of that country and some parts of the Sahel Region. We have learnt, most often through bitter experience, that terrorism and violent extremism are not restricted to particular geographic locations or jurisdictions, as the impact of a single terrorist incident in one part of the world resonates throughout the world. It is incumbent on the UN and, indeed, all Member States to lend their support to the efforts being made by ECOWAS to restore normalcy to Mali, and help us defeat the scourge of terrorism.
Mr. President, the importance of technology has been reinforced in the time of the pandemic. Virtual meetings are now part of our normal lives, young people have graduated in virtual ceremonies, and we might never go back to some of the many conferences that we used to attend, and it is obvious that technology is the future.
Ghana, therefore, welcomes and endorses the Secretary-General’s recommendation, as contained in the Roadmap on Digital Cooperation, to ensure that no one is left behind. How else would we all have maintained a semblance of keeping in touch in the past six months, but for technology?
The political season is at its height here in Ghana, as we prepare for presidential and parliamentary elections in December. Like everything else in our world today, even the politicking has been affected by the pandemic, and we cannot campaign for votes in the style to which we are accustomed. We are having to rely on technology to find ways of popularising our messages in the time of COVID-19.
It is a matter of great pride to me that, in spite of the difficulties in conducting an election during a pandemic, I am able to state that all Ghanaians are agreed that we have to work together to ensure that the elections will be transparent, free, fair, safe and credible. This will be the eighth election since we embarked on constitutional rule in our Fourth Republic in 1992. Each of the elections has seen an improvement on the previous one, and we are looking forward to this year’s passing off peacefully, with characteristic Ghanaian dignity. We are keenly aware of the reputation that Ghana has built as a tolerant and working democracy, and we have every intention to nurture and improve upon it.
Paramount in everyone’s consideration is the Ghana Project, which aims to modernise all aspects of our lives, and bring prosperity to our land. I have no doubts whatsoever that, at the end of the elections, we shall be proud of ourselves, Africa will have good cause to be proud of us, and the rest of the world will find lessons to learn from us.
Last year, 2019, was an extraordinarily exciting year for us in Ghana. It marked the 400th anniversary of the start of the barbaric Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, and the arrival in America of the first captured slaves from West Africa.
To mark this tragic anniversary, we declared 2019 the ‘Year of Return’, and extended a welcome back to the African continent of the descendants of the slaves who constitute the bulk of the black population in the Americas and the Caribbean. The invitation was enthusiastically taken up, and a great time was had by all.
We have every intention to keep a welcome mat laid out in Ghana for members of the African Diaspora. We, in Ghana, live with the grim reality that the majority of the abducted slaves from the continent were transported to the Americas and Caribbean through the forts dotted along our coastline. We owe it to their descendants to find a safe haven in Ghana, if they should need it.
This responsibility means we have to make Ghana secure and desirable both for her present-day citizens and for those in the Diaspora that might want to come back either for a visit or stay.
I extend the best of luck to you all from Ghana, and look forward to a healthy and happy world.
I thank you for your attention.


Mr. President,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Our General Assembly session this year is historically unique. We are commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations, and our General Assembly is meeting virtually for the first time ever. But unprecedented times call for innovative solutions so that as Leaders we remain connected and united in our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and our desire for a secure and peaceful world.
Mr. President,
Celebrating this UN milestone allows Samoa to reflect on its journey with the United Nations. The United Nations almost 60 years ago, ably facilitated our peoples’ aspirations to be a sovereign state founded on democratic principles, Christian beliefs and our cultural values. Upon attaining independence in January 1962, we joined the UN almost 15 years later when we felt confident and prepared to assume our role as a global citizen and a dependable member of the United Nations.
Our membership was firmly rooted in our belief in the sovereign equality of all member states, and grounded in the promise of hope and justice the United Nations offers, irrespective of economic, political or military strength.
We are committed to multilateralism with the United Nations representing the last bastion against the challenges and uncertainties that beset our world: from pandemics to economic crises, climate change to systemic discrimination, endemic poverty to dangerous threats to peace and security. We need a balance of power among UN members as well as responsibilities and representation for all people. This would set the scene for partnerships bearing promise for the future.
The theme for this year’s general debate is apt and timely. We need to reaffirm our commitment to multilateralism as we face challenges such as the COVID 19 pandemic, so we can shape “the future we want, the United Nations we need”.
As a Pacific SIDS, Samoa has continued to participate and contribute actively to the global effort to address challenges affecting the development, security and human rights pillars of the United Nations.
Mr. President,
We are living in trying unparalleled times. Never before as Leaders were we required to make hard decisions to close our borders and to provide near absolute guarantee to our people against the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic or to limit community transmission of the virus. The uncertainties we are facing have tested the mettle of our nations and governments like never before. Samoa extends its sincere condolences to our UN family for the lives lost due to the pandemic and pays tribute to the selfless service of all the frontline workers risking their lives to bring COVID-19 under control.
While Samoa remain COVID-free, we have not been spared the serious and life changing impacts on our nation, and people, who are still recovering from the devastation of the December 2019 measles outbreak that claimed more than 80 young lives. While the experience tested our resolve as a nation, it also strengthened our unity and resilience. Importantly, it reaffirmed our trust in investing in genuine partnerships.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a timely reminder yet again of our interconnectedness. When our world is teetering over the brink of uncertainties, we need to be ‘Nations United as One’. Global solidarity and a unified response is our best armour against the pandemic and the socio-economic impacts our people are facing. We acknowledge the ongoing support of the UN and all our development partners who continue to assist our efforts to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. We are hopeful for the successful development of a vaccine and its equal and even distribution. Let us all spread kindness faster than the virus, and not hate, fear and misinformation.
Mr. President,
What is a future we want, and the UN we need?
As Pacific SIDS, our future is already uncertain and compromised if the world continues with the current trajectory of emissions causing more than 3 degrees of global warming. This would pose an existential threat for most of our islands. While the pandemic introduced temporary lockdowns; severe cyclones continue to rampage, coastlines whittle away, sea level rises higher, and our oceans yield to the gnawing acidification. While border closures were observed, climate change knows no restrictions and respects no boundaries.
Tsunamis, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, deadly bush fires, heat waves and droughts continue to take and devastate countless lives. The heightened occurrence of catastrophic climatic-related disasters all over the world attest to why we must act with absolute urgency even in the wake of the pandemic. Climate procrastination must end now before the window closes on any chance for us to stabilise the Earth’s climate.
Critical meetings such as UNFCCC COP26, CBD COP15 and the 2020 UN Ocean Conference have been postponed. This however should not equate to a deferment of ambitious actions. We need to uphold the Paris Agreement commitments and maintain the needed momentum on ambitious climate action.
The United Nations remains the best hope to provide the political will and the necessary commitment to avoid what is an existential threat for many small states of this UN family.
We must mobilise all leaders from governments, NGOs, private sector and empower our youth and rural communities to fight the ongoing threat of climate change and unite against environmental degradation. The 75th Anniversary of the UN should be a point of hope for generations to come rather than an end due to a legacy of selfishness, denial and ignorance. While it is small island states like Samoa that are facing the brunt of the impacts of climate change, no country is immune to the reaches of climate change.
Mr. President,
We want a future with peaceful societies, free from conflict and nuclear weapons.
The UN has made notable achievements in its peace and security agenda, but much work still needs to be done. COVID-19 is contributing to increased volatility and instability in some situations. Growing inequality, poverty, armed conflicts, terrorism and insecurity still exist. People fleeing their homes in search of refuge and safety are becoming the new normal. And the threat of use of nuclear weapons is still present.
We condemn international terrorism unreservedly. Through our membership to disarmament and non-proliferation conventions, we continue to urge for a world without weapons of mass destruction, including the total elimination of nuclear weapons. Our contribution to peaceful societies worldwide is through our police officers serving in UN Peacekeeping missions in countries that require such assistance.
We welcome the recent UAE- Israeli ‘Abraham Accord’ and new developments to secure a peaceful settlement in the Middle East that is durable and fair. We also commend the “Secretary-General’s Appeal for Global Ceasefire” during the pandemic to end the plague of wars and instead fight the disease that is ravaging our world.
Mr President
Samoa presented its Second Voluntary National review on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals to the High-Level Political Forum this year. I also represented Samoa at the SDG Moment Event last week. We applaud this initiative which takes forward our decisions from the 2019 SDG Summit and puts us World Leaders in the driver’s seat as we begin the Decade of Action, to deliver the SDGs by 2030.
Samoa’s long-term vision for an improved quality of life for all mirrors that of the UN 2030 Agenda, which is a critical roadmap to uphold the three pillars of the UN. Achieving the SDGs will take us closer to the world envisaged by the founders of this organisation 75 years ago, and the future we wanted when we joined.
Mr. President,
The socio-economic wellbeing of our people remains at the core of Samoa’s development initiatives. The promotion, respect of, protection and fulfilment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, is indispensable to ensuring that no one is left behind. We commit to a human rights approach to sustainable development. We continue to invest in robust systems and processes that will improve the effective and inclusive implementation of our human rights obligations. This ensures linkages to our core sustainable development and national security priorities.
This year, Samoa hosted the 84th Session of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, a historic first. This milestone event is consistent with Samoa’s ongoing efforts to improve and strengthen the engagement between treaty parties and the treaty bodies. It also ensured the effective and active participation and engagement of the Pacific people, especially the children, on the Convention and the work of the Committee. Samoa encourages other treaty bodies to imitate CRC’s example. We also follow closely the work to reform the UN Human Rights Treaty body system.
The rule of law and the vital protection it offers to all states, especially to the weak and small, needs to be respected and we commit to always upholding it. We are also committed to advancing gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls, as stipulated in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Samoa will continue to look at initiatives such as the partnership with the EU and UN on the “Spotlight initiative” to support efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.
Mr President,
Let me conclude with a reflection on the UN we need.
We have witnessed some positive outcomes in the reforms undertaken so far, reassuring us that the UN can respond effectively to the needs of its diverse membership. We look forward to the positive impact of the UN Development System reform that promises improved UN presence in the Pacific region with the establishment of a Multi-country Office for the Northern Pacific states. We hope for an enhanced and effective UN engagement through the reinvigorated Resident Coordinator system; and expect a more integrated and focused delivery on the ground, informed by the priority needs of the member states. Samoa acknowledges the valuable contribution of the UN Multi-country office in Samoa and its dedicated staff who continue to collaborate with us and the Pacific, to better the lives and improve livelihoods options of our people and nations.
We are concerned however with the lack of progress in the reform of the Security Council. Samoa remains convinced that an expanded Security Council that mirrors present day realities is essential for multilateralism and for the Council’s integrity and credibility. Increases in both the permanent and non-permanent categories should be part and parcel of the reform package, and it is time to move to text based negotiations.
As a large ocean state and a SIDS, Samoa needs a United Nations that will produce a legally binding Instrument on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). A UN that will continue to recognise the unique vulnerabilities of SIDS to the impacts of climate change by ensuring the effective implementation of the SAMOA Pathway.
Mr President
While we commit to advance unity for the common good and common prosperity, our ability to do so lies in our uniqueness. The United Nations has become the foremost forum to address issues that transcend national boundaries. The United Nations is placed to understand our unique cultures, respect our different beliefs and embrace our differences as we unite to build the future we want in genuine and durable partnership. God Bless our UN family. Soifua