I congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session, and wish him every success in his tasks.
I thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his efforts to advance the lofty United Nations principles by promoting the pivotal role of our Organization, maintaining international peace and security, and promoting sustainable development.
I cannot fail to commend the efforts of Mr. Peter Thomson as President of the General Assembly at its previous session, particularly with regard to the implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The theme of this session, “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”, is in line with the priorities of the Tunisian Government for the coming period. In that respect, Tunisia has, since 2011, made great strides towards democratization and in promoting the rule of law and State institutions. That includes adopting a Constitution that promotes the values of democracy, human rights, women’s rights and youth rights. We also held our first fair and transparent legislative and presidential elections in 2014.
As a young democracy, we are pursuing measures aimed at strengthening constitutional institutions and structural reforms at all levels, in accordance with a clear vision and consensus that include all components of Tunisian society. Achieving development, fighting corruption, promoting investment and reducing unemployment, as well as promoting good governance, while focusing at the same time on combating the scourge of terrorism and extremism, have presented many challenges on which we have focused our national capacities. We are confident that brotherly and friendly countries and the United Nations will continue supporting us in our efforts. We appreciate in particular the significant pledges made by many parties to support development in Tunisia at the International Conference to Support Tunisia’s Economic, Social and Sustainable Development, Tunisia 2020, organized in Tunisia on 29 and 30 November 2016.
I note that Tunisia, in its fight against terrorism, has had to redirect a significant portion of its resources originally allocated to development. We are confronting that scourge by doubling the budget for our military and security forces. Thanks to the unity of the Tunisian people — a society that is premised on justice, equality and openness — and their commitment to democracy, we have been able to combat terrorism and foil its schemes. That has enabled us to restore security and stability and improve many economic indicators in our country.
Tunisia today is secure, like the majority of the countries in the world. It is endeavouring to promote its young democracy and its economy through significant reforms aimed at establishing a better business environment by attracting foreign investment and promoting tourism, as well as by seeking comprehensive development and meeting the needs and demands of our young people with regard to employment and a decent life.
The scourge of terrorism derives its strength from proliferating hotbeds of tension, conflict and violent extremism. That exacerbates the challenges facing the international community’s fight against that menace, which excludes no region and recognizes no borders. Terrorism is also linked to all types of organized crime, the influx of refugees and migrants, human trafficking and the consequent large-scale violations of universal human rights.
Combating terrorism requires international cooperation and comprehensive and inclusive strategic partnership. We are confident that boosting the economy and development of our country, while working to ensure social peace and security, requires the active engagement of the international community at large in supporting our implementation of all the ambitious goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular those that address environmental challenges, while mitigating the impacts of climate change on the economies of developing countries and the livelihoods of their people. We have therefore mainstreamed those goals in our national development plan for 2016-2020, and we have embarked upon implementing them in collaboration with the competent international agencies and regional structures — in particular the African Union, given the nexus between those goals and Agenda 2063 for African development.
We are also preparing to release our first national report on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals for the consideration of the High- level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. In that respect, we would like to reiterate that it is important to take into account the priorities and specificities of each region and country when dealing with the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Optimal utilization of all international and regional mechanisms, especially those dedicated to the financing of development, technology transfer and capacity-building, would support the efforts of African nations to achieve steady economic growth and sustainable development so as to put an end to poverty, marginalization and epidemics and work towards peaceful, just, inclusive and prosperous African communities.
We believe that environmental considerations are important in achieving sustainable development for all the world’s nations. We therefore signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015, and we voluntarily committed to reducing our gas emissions by 41 per cent by 2030. Our commitment has also been demonstrated by the nationally determined contribution devoted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Tunisia upholds the principles of international legitimacy and supports all efforts aimed at maintaining international peace and security, in particular by strengthening our contributions to United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding operations. Therefore, efforts to promote the principles of justice and equality in international relations would benefit from improvements in the effectiveness of the United Nations work and its organs, in particular the Security Council, so that the Organization can better assume its crucial responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.
The security and stability of the Arab region is an integral part of the world’s stability. We therefore call for immediate political settlements of issues in our region, in particular the Palestine issue, which requires a comprehensive solution that brings justice to the Palestinian people, ends their suffering and enables them to recover their legitimate historical rights — especially the establishment of an independent State with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with international parameters and the Arab Peace Initiative.
I seize this opportunity to reiterate our ongoing concern over the Libyan crisis, and we reiterate Tunisia’s commitment to stand by our Libyan brethren and urge them to bridge their differences and swiftly find a comprehensive political settlement to the crisis there. Within the framework of our mediation efforts among Libyan protagonists, our President Essebsi launched an initiative in December 2016 for a comprehensive political settlement of the Libyan crisis. Tunisia, believing in the role of neighbouring countries, has been keen to ensure positive engagement with Algeria and Egypt on the issue, so that we join our efforts to help the Libyans to end their differences and proceed with the political solutions sponsored by the United Nations.
It is important to unite international efforts on the Libyan situation, so that we can ensure progress on the political path and achieve convergence among Libyans under the supervision of the United Nations and the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya. That is especially true given that our Organization is the guarantor for implementing commitments and is capable of adapting any amended agreement in accordance with Security Council resolutions. We seek in that connection to prevent any vacuum, which could worsen the anarchy and instability.
We commend the efforts of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Mr. Ghassan Salamé, and we support the road map that he put forward on the holding of the High-level Meeting on Libya on 20 September and his call for the Dialogue Committee — comprising the Libyan House of Representatives and the State High Council — to launch a new round of talks in Tunisia within the framework of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya and, under his supervision, to introduce the consensual amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement of Skhirat. We hope that that step will act as a springboard for reconciliation and consensus in Libya.
We reiterate today that it is important to reach a comprehensive and immediate political settlement to the situation in Syria, and we urge the Syrian parties to give priority to the vital interests of their nation with a view to reaching a consensus that preserves the unity and territorial integrity of Syria, putting an end to the catastrophic humanitarian tragedy endured by the Syrian people and addressing the serious ramifications of that conflict at the regional and international levels.
We are gravely concerned at the exacerbation of the security and humanitarian situation in Yemen. That calls for redoubling international efforts to push forward political consultations aimed at finding a solution to that crisis in a manner that preserves the territorial integrity and resilience of the country, and puts an end to the humanitarian suffering endured by the Yemeni people. With regard to Iraq, we commend the fact that that brotherly country, in collaboration with the international coalition against Da’esh, has made significant progress in its war against terror. We reiterate Tunisia’s solidarity with Iraq in combating that serious scourge.
Regarding the situation of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar, we reiterate our condemnation of the flagrant violations of human rights against that minority. We appeal to the international community to shoulder its responsibilities and to swiftly intervene to provide the necessary protection, ensure access to humanitarian assistance and save those people from the atrocities that they have been enduring.
We are confronted with many serious challenges and issues, such as hotbeds of tension, conflicts, combating terrorism and extremists, addressing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, supporting human rights, implementing development goals and reforming the United Nations, among other crucial matters. The role of the United Nations is, thus, central in finding solutions to deal with those challenges. There is also a great responsibility that we need to bear in confronting the challenges caused by international transformations, for which we need to shore up our efforts. On this occasion, I would like to commend the efforts of the Secretary-General to develop the United Nations system, particularly with regard to the repositioning of the United Nations development system and the promotion of a preventive approach in resolving international conflicts and maintaining international peace and security.
In conclusion, we reiterate Tunisia’s resolve to continue to contribute actively to international action aimed at finding sound approaches and solutions to those difficult issues in a manner that preserves human dignity and enables the nations of the world to devote their efforts and resources to achieve comprehensive and sustainable development in a world of tolerance and intercultural solidarity among nations.


Allow me to express our sincere congratulations to you, Mr. President, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy- second session. We commend you for immediately identifying six overarching priorities for your tenure, which touch on attaining peace, giving impetus to the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change commitments, equality and human rights for all, among others. These priorities truly capture several of the current troublesome global challenges and we look forward to working closely with you on these issues.
The Kingdom of eSwatini would also like to commend the leadership of the new Secretary-General, who is committed to transforming the United Nations into an Organization fit for the twenty-first century. Reform of the United Nations and its attendant bodies has been under discussion for a long time. My delegation believes that fresh impetus must be given to this process and tangible progress made. We are therefore encouraged by the Secretary-General’s intention to refocus our attention on the reform agenda.
Reform of the Security Council is a key aspect of the process, and no transformation could be complete without its fundamental change. To that end, the Kingdom of eSwatini wishes to reiterate Africa’s call for a permanent seat on the Security Council, in accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus. The United Nations is urged to listen to the voice of the millions of Africans who want to contribute to the welfare of the global community as equal partners.
We are confident that under the able leadership of the Secretary-General, the United Nations will reach greater heights in its support for countries in implementing the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. The United Nations staff are also to be congratulated on their remarkable work in supporting inclusive and sustainable development, tackling diseases, promoting peace and stability and creating a conducive environment for humankind to live in, sometimes under extremely inimical conditions.
The theme of this session — “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet” — resonates perfectly with the motto of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of leaving no one behind. The theme is indeed cross- cutting in nature, as it affects every aspect of life. It calls on all of us to work to create peaceful countries, continents and a sustainable world in which people can lead peaceful and prosperous lives. In that regard, we wish to urge Member States to join hands in addressing the issue of nuclear threats, which have the potential to disrupt world peace. No country has the right to make the world an unsafe place to live in, and we owe it to our people and future generations to put a stop to nuclear threats.
Terrorism remains a threat to the safety of our peoples in various parts of the world. It is a setback to key development issues that deserve the priority attention of the United Nations.
The Kingdom of eSwatini is committed to peace and a decent life for all. We are also firm believers in the principle of consultative decision-making, which is a transparent and all-inclusive undertaking and grants all citizens an opportunity to voice their views so as to constructively contribute to our country’s social, economic, cultural and political development.
We are committed to the SDGs, as they provide a development framework within which the global community is able to strive for the inclusive and sustainable development of its respective countries. We have taken several initiatives to mainstream and localize the SDGs through public-awareness campaigns, consultations, education and training at all levels. The Kingdom of eSwatini has also integrated the Goals into its national development strategy, which has been revised to ensure that it is linked to the SDGs and the African Union’s Agenda 2063. Appropriate institutional arrangements are now in place for properly monitoring the implementation of the Goals at all levels.
Sustainable Development Goal 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. That urgency is now a global reality, and recent weather episodes around the world, such as hurricanes, floods and mudslides, have shown that no nation is immune to its effects. The Kingdom of eSwatini is no exception. In 2015 and 2016, the southern African countries, including our Kingdom, faced a severe drought. Its devastating effects, aggravated by the fall armyworm, adversely affected crop production. Funds from other projects and activities were diverted to mitigate the challenges. The scale of the drought led the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to declare it a natural disaster. We are grateful to the United Nations, our development partners, the international community, non-governmental organizations and other local organizations for supporting us during that period.
The Government will continue its programme of farming input subsidies for our farmers, and developing adequate water-harvesting infrastructure to enhance food sufficiency will always remain one of our top priorities. We urge donors and all nations not only to fulfil their pledges to the Green Fund but also to adopt policies that strike a correct balance between the production of essential products and the environmental sustainability we need to protect and preserve the world for future generations.
The net enrolment ratio in primary schools in the Kingdom increased significantly from 79.2 per cent in 2000 to 97.7 per cent in 2015, in a reflection of my country’s efforts to ensure that all children have access to education, irrespective of their socioeconomic status. The Government is also providing for our children’s needs by placing greater focus on assisting those who are orphaned and vulnerable through various programmes that ensure that they too can access free primary-school education and have adequate nutrition through school feeding schemes.
In our quest to achieve a decent life for all, and in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Africa’s Agenda 2063, the Kingdom of eSwatini has put in place several all-inclusive initiatives that are aimed at ensuring that no one is left behind. The Government also provides grants to the elderly as a way of supplementing their livelihoods.
The Kingdom is also developing innovation parks that will equip our young people with creative skills that can enable them to contribute to the country’s sustainable development. We would like to forge partnerships with well-established international parks to leverage and learn from their experience, and we have urged our private sector to take advantage of that initiative. We believe that together with many others, this initiative will help to nurture a future generation that is skilled and well equipped to provide solutions to the socioeconomic challenges and youth unemployment that our nation is facing.
The Kingdom of eSwatini will host the SADC University of Innovation and Technology, which is expected to produce highly skilled manpower and provide solutions for transforming economies, thereby enabling countries in the SADC region to close their skills gap. We are seeking the support of highly educated facilitators and the international community to make that project a reality.
Tackling poverty, hunger and the disease burden and improving our people’s basic standards of living have been at the centre of our Vision 2022 and national development strategy. The importance of human capital investment and promoting the interests of vulnerable groups represent crucial steps towards economic growth and prosperity.
I have full confidence in our innovative and educated workforce, which has demonstrated an indomitable spirit and resilience in overcoming the severe social, economic and environmental challenges of recent times. As a result, our national guiding theme for 2017 is “Rising above adversity to create prosperity for all”. The critical importance of the demographic dividend to Africa’s transformative development has been acknowledged by African leaders. They have recognized the urgent need to accelerate the implementation of the African Union Roadmap on Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth.
The HIV and AIDS pandemic remains one of our priority areas, as it continues to undermine our sustainable development objectives. It is stretching our health resources to the limit and calls for collective action on the part of the Government, international donors and other stakeholders to address it. As a nation, we have decided to work to reach AIDS-free status by 2022, a vision in line with Sustainable Development Goal 3, ending AIDS by 2030.
We are pleased to be able to inform the Assembly of the positive results we have attained through our concerted policies in tackling this scourge. Key findings from Swaziland’s second HIV incidence measurement survey show that we have achieved a more than 70 per cent viral load suppression among adults living with HIV. We also reduced HIV incidence by nearly half
17-29407 11/29 between 2011 and 2016, a major achievement. While we are encouraged by these results, we will continue to do everything in our ability to ensure that there are no new infections.
We are also pleased to mention that our efforts to tackle malaria eradication are being recognized. We were honoured that during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in January, Africa’s Heads of State and Government elected us Chair of the African Leaders’ Malaria Alliance. Tomorrow we will hold a side event on malaria here at United Nations Headquarters. Malaria is a scourge that requires our concerted efforts to eradicate from the face of the Earth. We aim to partner with our private sector in Africa and beyond to mobilize resources to combat it. We appreciate our partners’ support and also appeal to financial institutions, development partners and donors to join us in this fight, since it will pay handsome dividends for the people of our beloved African continent.
Among the political issues that have continued unresolved for too long is the denial of the right of the people of the Republic of China on Taiwan to participate in the United Nations system. Taiwan has shown significant commitment to the ideals of the United Nations and has aligned its priorities with those of the Organization. Humankind could therefore benefit a great deal from Taiwan’s experience in the framework of our global agenda as Member of the United Nations.
I reaffirm the full commitment of the Government of the Kingdom of eSwatini to implementing the Goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, it is worth noting that while our Goals may be universal, we do not all have the same capabilities and capacities for implementing them. As we recognize those resource and capacity constraints, therefore, we need to enhance resources, capacity-building, technology transfer and South-South cooperation so as to support lower middle-income countries, along with the least developed countries, in achieving our ambitious and transformative Agenda.


Allow me to begin by wishing a happy new year to those who celebrate the Islamic New Year 1439 Hijri. May peace be upon us all.
I would also like to extend Indonesia’s deep sympathy with and condolences to those affected by the recent natural disasters, including the earthquake in Mexico, the hurricanes in the Caribbean and parts of the United States, as well as floods in South Asia and other parts of the world. Our prayers go out to all the victims.
May I congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. Indonesia is committed to contributing to his successful presidency. I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson of Fiji for his able stewardship as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-first session. We commend his role in driving a universal push for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
We are all represented on the same world map, yet we see many different worlds. Our world today is far from equitable. The peoples of our world experience war, hunger, extreme poverty and illiteracy. Peace and equal prosperity are far from being reached. Therefore, Indonesia welcomes the theme of this year’s session, “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”. The theme recognizes the importance of placing the needs of our peoples first and highlights the fact that peace, prosperity, and sustainability are mutually reinforcing. In that context, I wish to underline three important points for achieving peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet.
First, it must be underlined that peace is never given; rather, it has to be developed and nurtured. We must work towards creating a global ecosystem of peace and stability. Indonesia’s experience in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations shows that building such an ecosystem is fundamental. It is fundamental for economic development and fundamental for the prosperity of the people.
Indonesia firmly believes that developing a global ecosystem of peace and stability is doable. However, to succeed we must practice the habits of dialogue, inclusiveness, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the non-use of force. More importantly, we must develop the United Nations as a robust global institution that emphasizes the maintenance of peace, security and stability. Key to that is ensuring that the United Nations reform process results in a strong, effective and relevant United Nations. It was for that reason that Indonesia co-sponsored the declaration of support for United Nations reform.
Furthermore, we must also strengthen international peacekeeping and peacebuilding mechanisms. Indonesia is honoured to have played a part in mediating conflicts, peacekeeping and peacebuilding beyond our borders. We have been and will always be ready to be a part of a global solution. Over the past 60 years, we have contributed more than 38,000 personnel to 28 United Nations peacekeeping operations. We currently deploy more than 2,700 peacekeepers in nine peacekeeping missions. We are also determined to contribute 4,000 personnel by 2019 and increase the number of female peacekeepers.
Beyond peacekeeping, Indonesia is an active member of the Peacebuilding Commission. We underline the need to ensure sustainable peace at the global level, which requires a global culture of prevention. It is also important to ensure a strong partnership among the United Nations, the relevant regional organizations and national Governments.
A global ecosystem of peace and stability requires the international community to settle one of the longest- standing unresolved conflicts — that of Palestine and Israel. This year marks half a century of the illegal occupation of Palestine. We shall not give up. Palestine is at the heart of Indonesian foreign policy, and Indonesia will continue to support it. After 50 years of stalemate, we need a fresh approach — one that is sustainable and innovative and can bring about a two- State solution.
We must not stop with the attainment of sustainable peace. A decent life for all people must be our global goal. That leads me to my second point. There must be synergies between sustaining peace and the development agenda. We must cultivate peace and stability to work for us in achieving sustainable development. The international system is well equipped to attain a decent life for all. A number of global commitments have been agreed, including the SDGs and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, to name but two.
However, commitments must be translated into concrete actions. The key to that is the means of implementation for the least developed and developing countries. Adequate funding, technical assistance, capacity-building and the transfer of technology are important elements for success. It is also important to support regions with huge potential that have undertaken great reforms towards sustainable development.
Africa is one such region. For Indonesia, South- South and triangular cooperation is our way to support development in the least developed and developing countries. Over the past three years, we have organized 167 South-South and triangular cooperation programmes, from which more than 2,000 participants from the least developed and developing countries have benefited. Indonesia is also proud to host the first Indonesia-Africa Forum in April of 2018, which shows our commitment to strengthening a partnership with Africa towards achieving sustainable development.
Synergy between sustaining peace and the development agenda requires a society that is just and inclusive and fully respects human rights. There should be no more man-made humanitarian crises in the world. Indonesia shares the concern of the international community regarding the developments in Rakhine state. We have proposed a 4+1 formula to the Government of Myanmar, placing the needs and welfare of the people at its centre. It would first require restoring stability and security. Its second tenet is restraint and non-violence. Third is to provide protection to all people in Rakhine state. Fourth is immediate access to humanitarian assistance. We also wish to implement the recommendations of the team led by Kofi Annan.
That is why a people-centred Government must be at the heart of national development programmes. That is why Indonesia continues to strengthen democracy and good governance at all levels. Over the past 10 years, through the Bali Democracy Forum, Indonesia has also shared the experiences and best practices of its democracy, working to strengthen democracy in its wider region.
Furthermore, development must not be achieved at the expense of the environment. Despite the sceptics, climate change is real. It is happening as we speak. Like many small island developing States, Indonesia, with more than 17,000 islands, is experiencing changing weather patterns and rising sea levels. That will affect the sustainability of our development and even our survival. Indonesia is therefore fully committed to the Paris Agreement. We call on all countries to implement their obligations under the Agreement.
One of the greatest challenges to our global order and development agenda is the threat of terrorism, radicalism and violent extremism. The threat is real, imminent and ever-present. Terrorism undermines peace and disrupts development. Therefore, my third point concerns the urgent need for global action and partnership in combating terrorism, radicalism and violent extremism. The key to tackling terrorism is to address its root causes: extreme poverty, illiteracy and massive youth unemployment. In most cases, radicalism and terrorism take hold of young, angry men, who think they have no hope because their country is destroyed, in combination with authoritarian Governments and invasions of big countries.
In Indonesia, we have adopted a comprehensive approach to addressing terrorism, radicalism and violent extremism in the form of a seamless combination of using hard and soft powers and strengthening law enforcement and the rule of law. At the same time, we are fostering engagement with communities through education, empowerment and interfaith and cultural dialogue. Indonesia has also implemented a comprehensive programme for the deradicalization and reintegration of those who have been radicalized or gone to the dark side. We have deradicalized more than 1,600 extremists in over 72 prisons in Indonesia. In this digital age of social media, terrorism is like cancer; it spreads quickly and it is deadly. No one country can address it in isolation. Global cooperation and a comprehensive approach are the only panacea to eradicate the threat.
As global challenges become more complex, it is evident that unilateralism is not a sustainable solution. The world needs strong partnership — a true global partnership. Indonesia has long believed in such partnership. That belief stems from our embedded national slogan “Bersatu kita teguh bercerai kita runtuh”, which translates as “united we stand, divided we fall”. Indonesia has always desired to contribute to global partnership, global peace and security, and global prosperity. Indonesia has presented its candidacy for non-permanent membership of the Security Council for the term 2019-2020. Indonesia is a true partner for world peace. We are counting on the support of those present for our candidacy.


On behalf of the people of Bolivia, I wish to express our full solidarity with the people of Mexico. Alarmed by this afternoon’s earthquake, we extend our support and brotherhood to Mexico as it addresses the resulting problems.
Once again, as leaders of the world we have gathered here in the historic Hall of the General Assembly. We meet yet again to voice our positions on the major challenges facing our family — the human family. The United Nations, as set forth in its Charter, was established to save succeeding generations from war, promote social progress and improve the standard of living of all peoples. Unfortunately, many of those promises have come to nothing, and after more than 70 years we see that in many instances, instead of making progress towards those objectives, we have regressed.
As we have affirmed many times, due to the abusive practices of imperialism, the market of savage consumption that supports capitalism and endless colonialist adventures, the world is enduring a multiplicity of crises that, instead of being resolved, are growing worse. War and violent conflict remain the scourge of millions of people. External aggressions in Iraq have led to more than a million deaths to date. In Syria, almost half a million people have lost their lives. In Libya, tens of thousands have been killed. In Yemen, the humanitarian crisis is of great proportions.
History has shown that, in order to appropriate natural resources and control the world geopolitically, military bases are deployed, invasions are organized, and Governments are brought down to create chaos and take advantage of the situation. Many of these invasions have fuelled the emergence of terrorist groups and unleashed violent confrontations and attacks on civilian populations, causing even more harm to innocent victims. Bolivia condemns terrorism and calls for fighting it and for resolving the structural causes of its emergence.
To this terrible situation is added the climatic crisis. We note that this year has again been the hottest in the history of the planet. Hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, droughts, pollution of the air and oceans and the consequent extinction of species are results of the capitalist model, consumption levels and excessive industrialization. In this situation, the countries of the South, which pollute the least, are the ones that suffer the most. It is imperative that all our countries join the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to work together to address the enormous challenges involved in saving the planet.
It is unjustifiable and inadmissible that the United States has decided to turn its back on the Paris Agreement. As one of the world’s main polluters, its Government, by refusing to do its part in the global effort, has become a threat to Mother Earth. What is necessary is unequivocal political will. We cannot expect market forces to finally convince the leaders of the capitalist world to take action. We extend our embrace of solidarity to our brothers and sisters in the Caribbean who are suffering the consequences of the passage of hurricanes. Together, as a united family, we will share with them what we have, even if it is not enough.
Our rivers, our seas, our forests and science have given us irrefutable evidence and call upon us to act. Water is the blood of Mother Earth that gives life to rivers, lakes, seas and oceans, which in turn are a source of life and generate balance. They are universal commons that cover three-quarters of our home. They bathe everything on all continents and islands of the Earth. They do this naturally, with no regard for political borders or nationalities. They should be respected, cared for, shared and preserved for future generations.
Bolivia has promoted the recognition that water is a human right. It is essential for the survival of humankind. Accordingly, our Constitution also prohibits it from being the used for profit or commercialism. The use of water must lead the way to opportunities that promote collaboration, interaction and harmony among peoples, not to cause conflicts over its origin, ownership or use. It is in this spirit of safeguarding human rights and sovereign rights related to our natural resources and in pursuit of good-neighbourly agreements that Bolivia hopes to resolve its Silala water dispute, which has been brought to the International Court of Justice. Water should not be the cause of internal or international conflicts. It must bring together and unite all States, nations, communities, peoples, social movements and individuals. For Bolivia, which is the hydrographic heart of South America, this concept is very important. Where water flows, peace must flow.
Not only is the world growing warmer every year, but each succeeding year is growing more unfair and more unequal. The gap between those who have the most — everything — and those who have almost nothing is widening every day. According to the most recent report from Oxfam, eight people have the same amount of wealth as 3.6 billion people, that is, half of the population of the planet.
Inequality is immoral. If 800 million people suffer from hunger, it is not because there is a lack of food. If millions of children die from infection, it is not because there is a lack of medicine. If 1.1 billion people do not have electricity, it is not because of a lack of energy in the world. If there is illiteracy, it is not because there are no books. If there are poor people in the world, it is not because there are no resources.
Due to war, terrorism and other conflicts, we are experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis since the founding of the United Nations. More than 128 million people in 33 countries require humanitarian assistance. More than 65 million people have been forcibly displaced. More than 22 million are refugees, which is the highest number ever recorded in the human history. More than 10 million people are stateless.
This calls for our attention. Bolivia condemns the construction of walls and laws that seek to criminalize migration. Accordingly, we propose the creation of a universal citizenship. The social and immigration crisis has its origin in the dominant world order, with its limitless greed for profit and appropriation of the commons, produces violence, promotes inequalities and destroys Mother Earth. Migrants cannot be held responsible for the economic and financial crises or
17-29281 15/24 for insecurity. We must not allow them to be viewed as criminals either. No migrant is illegal.
Some Governments, far from helping to resolve the structural causes of this phenomenon, such as war, the consequences of climate change or the economic asymmetries among the States, proclaim greater restrictions in their migration policies, massive expulsions and the building of walls. Walls counter the history of humankind. Walls cripple science and knowledge. Walls confine our souls, fuel hatred of difference and stifle freedom.
In Tiquipaya, Bolivia, representatives of social movements from 45 countries around the world came together at the World Peoples’ Conference in June for a world without walls towards universal citizenship. At that conference, we drafted alternative proposals with a humanist vision to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants. In August, Pope Francis dedicated a pastoral document to those four verbs.
We too call on the Governments of the world to come together to tackle criminal networks that traffic in human beings by declaring the trade and traffick in human beings as a crime against humanity and by considering the formation of a world ombudsman as an authority of universal jurisdiction responsible for ensuring human rights. Once again, I call for a global pact to act as the bridge to move towards the universal citizenship that we desire, because there are no categories and there are no differences between nationals and foreigners. We are all human beings and children of Mother Earth.
The United States of America must unilaterally and unconditionally put an end to the unjust embargo that has caused so much suffering to the Cuban people for nearly 60 years. It is an unjust and failed policy, and must be abandoned. The recent actions announced by President Trump spell a resurgence in the financial and trade embargo against Cuba and reverse the progress made between the two nations. The United States must not only lift that criminal embargo, but also make economic reparations for the damage caused and return Guantánamo to Cuban sovereignty. I pay deepest tribute to the memories of Commander Fidel and Commander Che Guevara, who from this very rostrum warned us not to trust imperialism.
We welcome the peace process in Colombia, including the consolidation of the ceasefire, disarmament and the integration of the Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia into political life. Revolutions take place through the ballot box and social consensus, not through bullets. Latin America and the Caribbean are coming together as a region of peace.
Bolivia unequivocally condemns the unilateral sanctions and the threats of invasion levelled by the Government of the United States against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. Our region is nobody’s back yard. We also reject the conduct of the Secretary General of the Organization of American States, Luis Almagro, who is the spokesperson for anti-Latin American interests. We express our support for and solidarity with President Nicolás Maduro and the Venezuelan people. We welcome and support the ongoing democratic dialogue.
For Bolivia, the Palestinian cause is indisputable. We condemn the criminal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. We condemn the construction of new settlements, and we condemn military aggression against the Palestinian people. We demand the achievement of a two-State solution and the establishment of a Palestinian State withing the pre- 1967 borders and with East Jerusalem as its capital.
We condemn the unilateral and illegal military actions of the United States in deploying its forces in the Syrian Arab Republic. We welcome the efforts of the Secretary-General, Russia, Iran, Turkey and Kazakhstan in seeking a ceasefire and in contributing to the peace negotiations process. We believe that if it were not for interventionism, we would not be suffering that war.
Bolivia condemns the production, development and use of all nuclear and chemical weapons, which pose a serious threat to peace, security and human life itself. We demand that all military interventions be avoided in resolving the situation in the Korean peninsula, and that negotiations be resumed as soon as possible to resolve that conflict peacefully. It is clear that the main threat to mother Earth, multilateralism, peace and freedom is the Government of the United States of America.
It is my duty to describe the economic and social situation of my country. Bolivia has consolidated an economic model that has successfully coped with the global crisis of the capitalist system. Bolivia leads economic growth in our region. We have recovered our homeland. Bolivia is a land that is free of illiteracy, free of North American military bases, free of the Drug
16/24 17-29281 Enforcement Administration and free of the United States Agency for International Development. It is a land free of impositions by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
Over the past decade, we have reduced extreme poverty from 38.2 per cent to 16.8 per cent, and we will eradicate it by 2025. We have reduced inequality. In 2005, the wealthiest 10 per cent held 128 times more wealth than the poorest 10 per cent; now, the wealthiest 10 per cent hold 46 times more wealth than the poorest 10 per cent. Bolivia ranks second in the world among the countries with the most women in Parliament. We are committed to multilateralism, the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the peaceful and negotiated resolution of conflicts.
In 2003, Bolivia came before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, seeking a peaceful solution to its unresolved 100-year-old dispute with the Republic of Chile that would allow us to exercise our right to sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean. We seek a solution that will satisfy both the historical and legislative background and the future understanding between neighbourly and fraternal peoples through an opportune and effective negotiation in good faith.
We trust in the Court’s decision and in a process of dialogue and negotiation that, unlike the invasions that we have suffered in the past, will help us to overcome our differences and promote our complementarity, free and sovereign access to the Pacific Ocean and the proper use of our shared natural resources. We are grateful for the solidarity shown by many States, peoples and leaders who have expressed their support for our maritime cause. I take this opportunity to ask all participants in the Assembly to accompany us in our peaceful quest for justice. It is anunwavering challenge for the brotherhood of our people over the coming generations.
With every passing year, our challenges become greater. War continues to destroy cities and global warming is a growing threat. If we truly want to resolve those issues and defend the interests of our peoples, it is essential to recognize basic services as human rights, respect the rights of Mother Earth and take up the fight against capitalism, colonialism and imperialism. Only if we win that fight will there be an authentic global order, based on solidarity, equality and social justice and respect for the right of peoples to peace and development so that they can live comfortably.


Although we currently live in a world of unrest and insecurity that is being scourged by an unprecedented global economic crisis, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea is participating rather optimistically in the political and diplomatic open debates on the items on the agenda of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. We believe that the topics selected for debate encapsulate the concern of every nation to achieve the objectives that were proposed in San Francisco in 1945, so that we can achieve a world of peace, well-being and security for humankind.
We wish to congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. We believe that his wealth of political and diplomatic experience, that of his Government and the experience of the other members of the Bureau will help to guide our fruitful discussions to build a better world.
We also hope that the work of this session will continue on from the previous session’s endeavours, during which, under the guidance of His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson, the United Nations made a correct assessment of the current state of global affairs. That further fuels our optimism that we can arrive at definitive and sustainable solutions for the complex problems affecting our planet. In that joint endeavour, the work of the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. António Guterres, has been highly praiseworthy, which is evident from the selection of issues before us.
It should be recalled once again that Chapter I of the Charter of the United Nations enshrines the intent of its Member States to build a world of peace and well-being for humanity by encouraging friendly relations and mutual respect for the independence and sovereignty of every nation. No Member State should consider itself exempt from that duty. We believe that all the Governments of the world, if one is politically honest, are working for the welfare of their nations, which is why every country designs programmes to promote human rights, the democratization of society and socioeconomic development, thus ensuring the well-being of their populations.
However, despite our optimism in this debate, we express our deep concern about the numerous armed conflicts and the sociopolitical instability that are ruining the socioeconomic structure of States, precisely because of interventions in the internal affairs of other States, which is specifically condemned by the Charter of the United Nations.
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is greatly concerned, because major wars that have destroyed entire nations have had Member States as powerful participating actors. Such States believe that armed force is the only way to bring about peace and resolve conflicts, while forgetting that war can never do that. Rather, it compounds and perpetuates conflicts, leading to disorder, destruction, desolation and ruin. Military force should never be the recourse used by the United Nations to ensure international peace and security. The Assembly must remember that international peace and security can be ensured only when every country enjoys internal peace and each country’s fundamental and inalienable rights are respected.
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is fully aware of and grateful for the support and confidence of almost all Member States regarding its candidacy as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. We wish to convey here our total rejection of the use of force as the only recourse available to the United Nations.
We are party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We condemn not only the use and manufacture of such weapons in conflicts between States, but also their possession and distribution. We believe that the terms of that Treaty are still insufficient — they should include the destruction of nuclear weapons, wherever they may be. Their possession by some States makes other States believe they have the right to possess them as well.
As a member of the Security Council, the Republic of Equatorial Guinea will cooperate with all States to ensure peace in the world, which should mean ensuring peace in each country and protecting its political, economic, social and cultural rights.
There is also a great deal of uncertainty about the fact that, despite the commendable initiatives in the 1990s to combat malnutrition, hunger, climate change and others, and despite the High-level Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on the Millennium Development Goals held in 2010, after more than 20 years not much progress has been seen in those areas. On the contrary, there has been an increase in the number of people in the world who go hungry; the environment continues to deteriorate, causing major disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and the deaths of thousands of human beings and the destruction of the infrastructure needed for human existence. The United Nations is still very far from achieving the established goals for the well-being of humankind.
We take this opportunity to express the condolences and solidarity of the people and the Government of Equatorial Guinea to the nations suffering from disasters: Mexico, the United States, the countries of the Caribbean and Sierra Leone, in Africa.
At the same time that we see those factors, we are also witnessing international terrorism, extremism, xenophobia, human trafficking, emigration, piracy, the phenomenon of mercenaries, major epidemics, transborder crimes and an acute economic crisis that is currently affecting the entire world. All of those phenomena make it necessary to achieve greater awareness among nations of the need to establish more direct cooperation among States and for all nations to undertake united, dynamic and coordinated action.
No matter how powerful a country may be, such events mean that we must all pay attention, because no State is exempt from the responsibilities resulting from the overbearing actions taken by some States against others. We must therefore focus more on bringing about peace in the world and ensuring a healthy environment, eliminating nuclear weapons and combating terrorism and piracy, which affect all countries. No country should act as a policeman who imposes on others the principles of good governance, to which we all have committed ourselves anyway.
We want a world with a spirit that is equally participatory and egalitarian for women and men, and for nations large and small. We want a reform of the Security Council that enables the equitable participation of all continents and guarantees the rights of all nations. We want cooperation based on fairness. We want respect for the cultural principles and values that ensure the existence of every nation throughout the ages. The premise here is that, in the absence of wars and the adverse phenomena we have mentioned, the world could move towards sustainable development, the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea has taken a giant step forward in its development, such that expectations for its economic emergence have been estimated to occur by 2020. Unfortunately, however, its strategy has had to be considerably modified because of the current economic crisis. That is what is currently being experienced in our country with regard to peace and development.
The threats to peace and stability that we have seen over recent years have been provoked from the outside, with attempts to occupy the country and acts of piracy and terrorism that have been aimed at destabilizing the peaceful and democratic system of the existing Government. They are attempts to disturb the peace and create riots for the benefit of fortune-hunting adventurers. That has resulted in unjust and gratuitous accusations against the leaders of our country and others in the subregion, disparaging the legitimacy of our national sovereignty, and even ignoring the decisions of international justice. All of that has been part of an attempt to confuse international public opinion about the reality of the progress achieved by Equatorial Guinea in order to justify, as always, an intention to impose so-called humanitarian intervention in our country.
In conclusion, we appeal for greater global consensus to fight the phenomena impeding the progress and well-being of humankind. A more inclusive and participatory consensus on the strategies of action of the United Nations and other international economic organizations is needed. The United Nations must lead us forward with the idea of a globalized world engaged in united action that does not condemn or punish, but rather helps the most needy to overcome the challenges of development.


In December of last year, the General Assembly adopted resolution 71/190, on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order, which clearly stipulated the inadmissibility of interference in the internal affairs of States and of coups d’état as a method of transferring power, and the importance of excluding from international relations certain States’ efforts to exert unlawful pressure on others, including through the extraterritorial application of national jurisdictions. An overwhelming majority of Member States voted in favour of the resolution. The minority was chiefly represented by the very countries that, contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, are attempting to dominate world affairs and impose their own development models and values on other States and peoples, led by a one-sided logic that undermines international law.
But the world is not standing still. We were pleased that United States President Donald Trump unequivocally stated from this rostrum the day before yesterday that it is important to comply with the principles of sovereignty in international affairs and to lead by example rather than by imposing one’s will on other nations, and that countries with different values, cultures and aspirations can not only coexist but can work side by side on a basis of mutual respect. I believe that we can all subscribe to those words, especially if United States foreign policy will in fact be conducted on that basis.
Russia has always abided by the principles of sovereignty, non-interference in the affairs of other States, the equality of peoples and mutual respect in its international dealings, and it will continue to uphold them. In the past quarter century, despite challenges, our country has taken on in good faith its share of the work of eliminating the legacy of the Cold War and has done much to strengthen trust and understanding in Europe, the Atlantic region and all over the world. However, that has not been reciprocated by our Western partners, intoxicated as they were by the illusion of the onset of the end of history, and who are still trying to adapt rudimentary institutions designed for an era of bloc-versus-bloc confrontation to today’s realities. NATO wants to recreate the climate of the Cold War and refuses to implement the principle it solemnly declared in the 1990s — equal and indivisible security throughout the region of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
The West has built its policies according to the principle of “he who is not with us is against us”, and has proceeded with the heedless expansion of NATO eastwards, fomenting instability in post-Soviet geopolitics and inciting anti-Russian feeling. It is that policy that lies at the root of the protracted conflict in Ukraine. Despite the efforts of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group, the authorities in Kyiv constantly come up with new ploys to interfere with the implementation of their commitments under the package of measures outlined in the Minsk agreements of 12 February 2015 and endorsed by the Security Council.
But even in those circumstances, Russia has been focused on constructive effort and on finding mutually acceptable ways to implement the Minsk agreements. In response to concerns that have been expressed about the current security situation, President Putin has launched an initiative to establish a United Nations mission to protect the OSCE observers in the Donbas region, and a corresponding draft resolution has been introduced in the Security Council. We believe Russia’s proposal will help to facilitate a settlement of the internal crisis in Ukraine that resulted from the anti-constitutional coup led by ultra-radicals. We hope for constructive interaction on the issues with our European and United States partners, without zero-sum games.
Here at United Nations Headquarters, we should bear in mind how the United Nations began. The decisions of the Nuremberg Tribunal were a warning against forgetting the lessons of the Second World War and the disastrous consequences of attempts to take control of the world’s destiny by trampling on the lawful interests of other nations and peoples. It is disgusting to use concerns about freedom of expression as a pretext for condoning radical movements that preach neo-Nazi ideology and support the glorification of Nazis and their associates. We need constant vigilance to maintain a secure shield against neo-Nazism, revanchism, extremism and xenophobia and strengthen international and intercultural harmony.
Inciting hatred and intolerance, terrorists, extremists and nationalists destroy and desecrate objects of historical, religious and cultural value. Civilized Europe tolerates the demolition of monuments to the liberators of the continent and heroes of the Second World War whose victory was the foundation for the United Nations. We think this issue should be a priority for immediate attention from the General Assembly and UNESCO with a view to establishing a legal framework to prevent such actions, and Russia intends to submit proposals for it. The continuing indifference to the shameful issue of statelessness that persists in Europe is also unacceptable, as is the suppression of minority languages, which is a gross violation of Council of Europe conventions.
History has shown us throughout the ages that arriving at lasting settlements to disputes is possible only through dialogue and finding a balance between the conflicting parties’ core interests. Unfortunately, outright pressure is replacing diplomacy increasingly often in the arsenals of a number of Western countries. Imposing unilateral sanctions on top of those authorized by the Security Council is an illegitimate act that undermines the collective international effort. Today we have all been watching with alarm as the United States has imposed yet another set of restrictions — in fact, extraterritorial restrictions — on Iran, and threatening the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which has become a key factor in international and regional stability. The United States embargo on Cuba, which has gone on for more than half a century, is a demonstration of the uselessness of policies involving unilateral sanctions, and almost every Member State has been calling for it to be lifted for decades. It is time to listen to them.
The spiralling confrontation around the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea is unraveling dangerously. We firmly condemn Pyongyang’s adventurist nuclear- missile manoeuvres, which violate Security Council resolutions. But whipping up military hysteria is not only a blind alley, it is a deadly one. It goes without saying that all Security Council resolutions must be implemented but, along with sanctions, they all include provisions on the importance of resuming talks. We must stop blocking those provisions. There is no alternative to the political and diplomatic route, based on a dialogue among all interested parties, for addressing the Korean peninsula’s nuclear problem. We urge all responsible members of the international community to support the Russian-Chinese road map, as outlined by the Foreign Ministries of Russia and China in a joint statement on 4 July.
Incitement to disorder and threats of violent intervention in the cause of the democratization of Venezuela are unacceptable, as is any action aimed at undermining the legitimate Government of any country. In any internal conflict, the international community must encourage the parties to take the path of national reconciliation and compromise. Efforts to ignore the opinions of others and resort to decrees and ultimatums, or to use force to circumvent the Charter of United Nations, have never done any good. The explosion of international terrorism, the millions of refugees and unprecedented waves of illegal migration are to a large degree the result of the attempts of the past few years to achieve regime change, including through the armed interventions that have wreaked havoc and destruction in the Middle East and North Africa and have paved the way for terrorists in parts of the world where they had never appeared before.
Despite the fact that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is pulling back in Syria and Iraq, considerable additional effort will be needed to stabilize the region. We should recall that we are fighting Al-Nusra as well as ISIL, despite the fact that for some reason Al-Nusra is tolerated by United States coalition members. Recent developments in
Syria have given grounds for cautious optimism. The sixth international meeting on Syria, held in Astana on 14 and 15 September, finalized the establishment of the four de-escalation zones, which had been agreed on with the participation of Russia, Iran, Turkey, the United States, Jordan and the United Nations, with the support of many other countries. The agreements create the conditions for further progress towards implementing Security Council resolution 2254 (2015) on the basis of direct dialogue between the Government and the opposition aimed at uniting their efforts to eliminate the terrorist epicentre as soon as possible and restoring peace and unity throughout the country, while resolving its acute humanitarian problems. The most urgent task is to increase the supplies of humanitarian aid and demining the liberated territories. We believe firmly that anyone who sincerely desires peace for Syria and its people should take part in this process under the leadership of the United Nations and without any preconditions. The incidents where chemical weapons have been used in the region are a separate issue. Every case should be investigated honestly and professionally, with no attempts to manipulate the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.
Finding solutions to humanitarian issues and reconciling conflicting parties are also relevant issues for other crises in the region, including the situations in Libya, Yemen and Iraq. In all of those situations, as with any conflict, Russia is pursuing a balanced policy and working with all parties without exception. With regard to issues in the Middle East and North Africa, we cannot put United Nations decisions on the Palestinian question and the Arab Peace Initiative on the backburner, much less consign them to oblivion. We believe that restoring Palestinian unity is crucial and welcome Egypt’s efforts in that direction. Russia is ready to assist in every possible way with the resumption of direct talks between Israel and Palestine, and to cooperate with its partners in the Quartet and the Arab League of States for that purpose. As long as the Palestinian question goes unresolved, it will continue to be exploited by extremists, who are attracting ever more new recruits.
The never-ending bloody terrorist attacks around the world illustrate the illusory nature of efforts to create isolated safe havens. We can combat extremism and terrorism together, without double standards or hidden agendas, only based on the primary responsibility of States, as envisaged in the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. We welcome the reform of United Nations counter-terrorism activities that the Secretary-General has initiated, which the General Assembly has endorsed. We see the appointment of a Russian to head the new United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism as an acknowledgement of the role that Russia has played in combating this evil, and we thank everyone for their support.
Russia is committed to the goal of achieving a nuclear-weapon-free world. Under the existing treaty regimes in the area of arms control and non-proliferation, the complete elimination of nuclear weapons should be the end result of a process of universal and total disarmament that continues to ensure equal and indivisible security. Attempts to outlaw nuclear weapons that ignore current realities and all the factors that can affect strategic stability serve only to make this common goal further off than ever and to undermine the consensus regimes of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
We urge everyone to say no to the militarization of the information space. We must work to stop it becoming an arena for political and military confrontation and prevent the use of information and communications technologies as instruments for exerting pressure, inflicting economic damage and spreading terrorist and extremist propaganda. The United Nations should focus its efforts on formulating rules for responsible behaviour in the digital sphere that can meet the security interests of all States. Russia has drafted a universal convention on countering cybercrime, including hacking, and we hope to launch discussions on it during the current session.
It is clear that in future the world will continue to confront a whole range of new, long-term problems affecting our entire civilization. We have no right to waste our energy, time and efforts on geopolitical games. We need collective approaches, not unilateral ones. The process of shaping a polycentric world order is also a trend — a changing event that reflects the redistribution of the global balance of power and the increasing role that the cultural and civilizational identity of peoples plays in it. All of us, including those who are used to telling the world what to do, will have to adapt to it. It is in our common interests not to try to restrain this natural process. We will have to work to ensure that the world order becomes fair and democratic,
26/33 17-29585 just as the founding fathers of the United Nations envisioned. Globalization should unite rather than divide people, while taking account of the interests of all States without exception and contributing to a stable and secure future for all humankind. Without mutual trust, we cannot hope for the effective implementation of the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals or the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, or for solutions to global issues that are so crucial to developing countries, such as food security, demographics and health care.
The fundamental principles of international relations should include the recognition of political pluralism, freedom of choice and the rule of law. We must stop relying on military alliances and instead provide support and security guarantees to States that opt for neutrality. On the economic front, we must work to lower barriers to trade and investment and stop politicizing economic relations. The International Olympic Movement, and sports in general, should remain outside politics. First and foremost, we must foster in young people respect for the cultural and civilizational diversity of today’s world. We invite everybody to the nineteenth World Festival of Youth and Students, which my country will host in Sochi less than a month from now. Another important event will take place in Russia at the same time, when St. Petersburg convenes the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly, at which the main topic for discussion will be “Promoting cultural pluralism and peace through interfaith and inter-ethnic dialogue”. Let us encourage dialogue among various cultures and religions and stop using historical events to foment hatred and fear.
A philosophy of coexistence, unity and harmonization of countries’ different interests underlies President Vladimir Putin’s proposal for a greater Eurasian partnership, open to all States of Asia and Europe, with the goal of creating an economic and humanitarian space based on the principle of the indivisibility of security. It goes without saying that equal rights for all, individuals and States, would be a universal requirement, as stated in the Charter of the United Nations. Those just and equitable principles form the foundation for the activities of various organizations in which Russia actively participates, including the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. We also continue to build relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and other associations of Asian, African and Latin American countries. Through our joint efforts we have achieved a more balanced approach in the work of organizations such as the Group of 20, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
We believe in the vitality of this Organization and would like the Secretary-General to play an active role in facilitating the full realization of its potential based on the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, while respecting the prerogatives of its intergovernmental bodies. Peacekeeping reform in particular requires a carefully tailored approach, without abrupt shifts or abandoning decades of invaluable accumulated experience.
Two thousand years ago, the Roman philosopher Seneca wrote, “We are born to live together”. The founding fathers of the United Nations understood that better than anyone. They believed — and enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations — that our God-given existence on a single planet should compel all of us to unite in order to prevent the scourge of new wars. If we are to do that today, we badly need to revive the culture of diplomacy and dialogue and the quest for a balance of our interests, rather than making rash, instinctive decisions in our desire to punish those who disobey us. What this is really about is preserving humankind in all its richness and diversity. Russia has always been, and always will be, open to working together with all those who show that they are ready to meet halfway and cooperate on a basis of equality and mutual respect. We will continue to uphold those principles in the work of the United Nations in the interests of improving global governance and genuinely democratizating international relations.


At the outset, I would like to congratulate Mr. Miroslav Lajčák on his election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. I would like to take this opportunity to express the hope that under his leadership, the General Assembly will achieve its objectives and to assure him of my country’s full support for his efforts.
I would also like to pay tribute to Mr. Peter Thomson, who preceded Mr. Lajčák in his position, and to reiterate our warm congratulations to Secretary-General António Guterres on his well-deserved appointment. We wish him every success as he discharges the lofty mandate that has been entrusted to him.
Notwithstanding its major progress and new opportunities, the world continues to face many challenges. The economic and financial situation remains a source of concern, and the security front is equally worrying. New threats are emerging. The nature of conflict is changing. A number of crises are worsening and growing ever more complex. Even if climate change sometimes gives rise to scientific controversy, today it is an undeniable reality that is producing one major catastrophe after another. I would like to take this opportunity to convey our sympathy and solidarity with the communities that have been recently affected in the United States, Mexico and the Caribbean.
All of these challenges underscore the crucial importance of sustained and resolute collective action to address them. We must mobilize once more to revitalize multilateralism and stress the central role to be played in it the United Nations. The task is enormous and the responsibility heavy. Such challenges require ambitious reforms and increased resources. The reform undertaken by the Secretary-General in three key areas — the repositioning of the United Nations development system in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, management reform, and the reform of the peace and security architecture — is a timely response to the need to make the Organization a tool that can more effectively realize its full potential for serving the people it was created to serve.
The 2030 Agenda is an ambitious programme both for the eradication of poverty and the preservation of the planet. In addition, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Sendai Declaration and the Addis Ababa Action Agenda represent an array of tools for strengthening the 2030 Agenda. It also calls on countries to adopt policy frameworks in order to change their modes of production and consumption, as well as strategies to address climate change and disaster risk. With regard to the full and effective implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Djibouti would like to make a few comments.
First, Africa and the least developed countries should be treated as a priority. As the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development has pointed out in its analyses,
“[Africa is] the battleground where [the Sustainable Development Goals] will be won or lost”.
We must also mobilize large amounts of financing if we are to match these ambitions. To do that, we must adopt innovative financing mechanisms that not only guarantee increased foreign direct investment but also ensure that development aid commitments are kept. The necessity of that can be demonstrated by careful study of the pledges for financing the Millennium Development Goals, which were not fully honoured, and by the fact that the goal of 0.7 per cent as a portion of gross national income established for official development assistance has not been regularly paid. If it had, by now we would have mobilized $2.5 trillion. We should also emphasize the importance of an international trade system focused on the three Ps, that is, poor-people-centred, productivity-enhancing and planet-friendly.
Lastly, we cannot stress strongly enough the importance of evaluation tools that make it possible to reliably measure progress. Through strong partnership and sustained effort, we can and must work to promote economic growth that is mindful of social justice and respects the environment.
The absence of peace is the major obstacle to economic development. The human cost of conflict is enormous and brings with it massive forced displacement, famine, the spread of communicable diseases, acute food insecurity and a rapid deterioration in respect for human rights. Now more than ever, our Organization has an increased role to play in conflict prevention and the peaceful settlement of disputes. In that regard, we welcome the Secretary-General’s emphasis on such prevention and the reforms under way to restructure the peace and security architecture.
The emergence of extremist terrorist groups perpetrating acts of unprecedented violence poses a new challenge. By disseminating an ideology of intolerance and hatred that calls explicitly for the annihilation of others, they undermine the cohesion of our societies and pose a threat to international peace and security that demands that we coordinate our efforts to combat terrorism.
Djibouti welcomed the recent establishment of the Office of Counter-Terrorism for coordinating United Nations action in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. Djibouti also hosts the Centre of Excellence for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), designed as a common platform for supporting the strengthening of national and regional coordination, producing analysis and ultimately formulating an action plan aimed at countering extremist rhetoric conveyed through social media.
I would now like to express our views on certain regional and international situations that are high on the agenda for States Members of the United Nations.
Regarding Somalia, Djibouti welcomes the recent political developments in the country and the momentum created by the election in February of President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo and the formation of a new Government. We welcome the many encouraging steps taken to strengthen relations with Somalia’s federal member states and the strategy that has been implemented to promote tax and economic reforms aimed at mobilizing domestic resources. However, we stress the importance of increasing support to Somalia by mobilizing adequate funding in support of its development programme. We remain concerned about the proposed cuts in funding to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), despite the consensus on that African peacekeeping operation’s success. Care must be taken to ensure that the improvements in the security situation are maintained. AMISOM has brought the Al-Shabaab terrorists to their knees in a bloody defeat.
With regard to South Sudan, we remain concerned by the slow implementation of the August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan. The actors involved in that protracted crisis must acknowledge that there can be no military solution to the conflict. In that regard, we support the decision of the thirty-first Extraordinary Summit of IGAD Heads of State and Government on the situation in South Sudan, and reiterate the need for a genuine, transparent and credibly inclusive national dialogue to enable lasting peace to be restored. We also underline the important role played by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in the quest for a solution to the crisis there and urge all stakeholders to continue their efforts to implement their mandates, while recognizing the importance of complementary and coordinated action.
Turning to Yemen, Djibouti continues to be extremely concerned by the triple tragedy the country is experiencing, as United Nations officials have emphasized in the Security Council — famine, an unprecedented cholera epidemic and a serious political impasse hindering progress towards peace and security. We urge all parties to return to the negotiating table.
In Palestine, we all know that only a two-State solution can bring peace to the region. The suffering of the Palestinian people has lasted for too long and must end.
Djibouti is also troubled by the fate of the Muslim Rohingya minority in Rakhine state in Myanmar. We are gravely concerned about the military brutality targeting civilian populations and the atrocities that we have all seen in the press. Despite the Government’s assurances, the crimes against the Rohingya community have not abated. We support the conclusions of the final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State, led by former Secretary-General Kofi Annan, and call on Myanmar to fully implement its recommendations without further delay.
Djibouti remains alarmed by North Korea’s belligerent and dangerously provocative attitude.
Its multiple ballistic-missile launch tests violate the provisions of the relevant Security Council resolutions. Member States should monitor the situation vigilantly. We call on North Korea to engage in a constructive and result-oriented dialogue to find a satisfactory solution to the crisis.
Djibouti is still awaiting the return of the 13 members of its military who have been detained by Eritrea, a neighbour of ours whose belligerent policies towards my country continue. We call on Eritrea to accept the mediation efforts of the African Union in order to demarcate its Ras Doumeira and Doumeira Island borders, begin to build trustworthy relationships with its neighbours and cease the hostile policies that are destabilizing the entire Horn of Africa.
I wish the General Assembly every success in its work.


It is a great honour for me, as the current Chairman of the African Union, to take the floor in this melting pot of multilateralism to address the Assembly. The theme that unites us is “Focusing on people: Striving for peace and a decent life for all on a sustainable planet”. It is a topic of particular relevance to the African continent.
At the outset, I would like to convey my warmest congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-second session. I have no doubt with respect to the dynamism that you will imprint on our work in order to build on the work of your predecessor, Mr. Peter Thomson, to whom we pay tribute for having made Africa his priority, thereby bestowing a remarkable impetus to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Africa, once subjugated, enslaved, malleable and marginalized, has awoken. It has risen up to fight for sustainable development, justice and good governance. Today more than ever, Africa is determined to take its destiny into its own hands. It is fully determined to be the main stakeholder in its development and to fully play its role in the management of international affairs.
The task will not be easy. However, we have faith because we have the potential and the assets necessary to lift our continent to great heights on the world stage. With that in mind, Africa extends a sincere and friendly hand to all partners of goodwill, conscious of the following principles: that there can exist true happiness only when it is shared; that there can be wealth only when it is equitably distributed; that there can be viable and supportive partnership only when it is equal; that there can be enduring peace only when it is inclusive; that there can be sustainable development only when it respects and consolidates the dignity of peoples.
The interdependence of the challenges facing humankind necessitates a paradigm shift in our perceptions and actions, particularly in Africa, whose priorities must be understood not through empathy but rather through pragmatism. In today’s world, destinies of States are no longer isolated. Massive refugee flows, large-scale migrations, natural disasters and pandemics, which all touch on our collective consciousness, represent the sad illustration of that reality. Our new approach should place more emphasis on human beings and the restoration of their dignity if we want to eradicate poverty and achieve the objectives of the 2030 Agenda and the African Union Agenda 2063. The adoption of the 2030 Agenda at the international level and Agenda 2063 at the regional level constitute major steps forward in our fight against poverty, provided that we honour our commitments.
The fact that Africa is lagging will not always be the case. Africa has been the most dynamic continent over the past decade. According to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, that growth will continue despite falling prices of raw materials, which are set outside the continent, and the fact that our economies remain heavily dependent on them. Given that situation, we need to diversify our economies and make them more resilient through increased investment in the sectors with real potential for sustainable growth, such as agriculture, infrastructure, information and communications technologies and energy.
The industrialization and structural transformation to which Africa aspires will depend not only on our access to energy, but above all on the continent’s economic integration through the effective implementation of the continental free trade area, which is a prelude to an African common market. Africans yearn for prosperity, which is energetically embraced by the young population and is being addressed energetically by African leaders, who have decided to dedicate the African Union theme to 2017 to youth and to proclaim 2018-2027 the African Decade for Technical, Professional and Entrepreneurial Training and Youth Employment.
The African Union has resolutely undertaken to find lasting solutions to the numerous challenges confronting young people with a view to making that stratum of society, which represents 70 per cent of our population, the real driving force of development on our continent. That will guarantee stability, security, peace and the harmonious and sustainable development of our planet. I therefore cannot fail to advocate for an African initiative aimed at recruiting, training and deploying 2 million community health-care workers throughout the whole of the continent. I urge the international community to support that initiative, which will create decent jobs, prevent pandemics and ensure the well- being of our peoples.
Africa has decided to take responsibility for itself and to speak henceforth with one voice in order to find lasting solutions to its problems. The appointment of Heads of State as champions allows the African Union to talk with one voice on crucial matters. We have launched an institutional reform process to enhance the effectiveness of our Organization, streamline its action and reaffirm its political, economic and financial autonomy, thereby enabling us to play a leading role on the international scene.
The Kigali decision to impose a 0.2 per cent levy on eligible imports to finance the African Union demonstrates Africa’s resolve to shoulder its responsibilities. In the same vein, we are determined to eradicate hotspots in Africa by promoting dialogue and finding African solutions. We urge the international community to focus its action to that end, in particular in Libya, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, where some parallel initiatives are inhibiting the return to stability. Africa must no longer be left on the sidelines of decisions affecting it. To that end, it will strive to establish an international institutional architecture equipped to effect the changes our people rightly expect.
The Security Council, which has the primary responsibility of maintaining world peace and security, no longer reflects current realities. How is it that Africa, the third Power in terms of demography in the world, is not represented at an appropriate level within the Security Council, while 70 per cent of questions discussed there affect Africa? It is high time to repair that injustice, which has gone on for too long. We reiterate the pertinence of the African Common Position as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus. We call for the enlargement of the Security Council in the two categories of membership, including two permanent seats and a total of five non-permanent seats for Africa, chosen by the African Union. Furthermore, if it is not possible to abolish the veto, the new permanent members of the Security Council must enjoy the same prerogatives and privileges as the current members.
In terms of managing crises and conflicts in Africa, the African Union promotes a regional approach. Partnership between the United Nations and the African Union must be part of a dynamic to build the capacities for action of regions, which can best understand the root causes of crises and conflicts and find appropriate solutions to them. To that end, Security Council resolution 2359 (2017), on the deployment on the joint force of the Group of Five for the Sahel, is an important milestone towards consolidating the partnership that we are seeking on questions of peace and security in Africa. I reiterate our appeal for the effective mobilization of the resources necessary to operationalize that force.
The African Union will spare no effort to assume its responsibility to contribute 25 per cent to the financing of peacekeeping operations in Africa, as mandated by the Security Council. Regarding the prospect of silencing the guns by 2020, we welcome the vision of Secretary-General António Guterres, placing the quest for peace at the heart of his action, with a particular focus on preventive diplomacy.
The African Union is fully committed to prioritizing prevention, mediation, promoting dialogue, finding peaceful political solutions and peacebuilding, which are less costly than peacekeeping operations, the effectiveness of which raises many questions. We encourage the reform initiative of Secretary-General Guterres, in particular the restructuring of the peace and security architecture, and recall that in order for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations to be viable and effective, it must include all Member States, which must be able to make their contributions through the dedicated intergovernmental processes.
Regarding terrorism and extreme violence, the African Union firmly condemns the barbaric acts that have struck Mali, Burkina Faso, the Niger, Nigeria, the United Kingdom, Spain, France and Iran, and reiterates its deep sympathy to and solidarity with the Governments and peoples affected by those heinous crimes. The African Union considers that only through increased international cooperation, especially with respect to the exchange of information and intelligence, will we be able to fight that scourge and stem its sources of financing. It goes without saying that our aims will be fully achieved only if additional efforts are deployed to eradicate poverty, exclusion and radicalization. We can defeat terrorism once and for allonly all by putting an end to poverty, as it flourishes in that climate. Africa must therefore manage its energy and develop its infrastructure in order to ensure inclusive development.
How can we remain silent confronted with the daily torments of the Palestinian people, victims of occupation? The African Union reiterates its unfailing support to the long-suffering people of Palestine in its legitimate struggle to reaffirm its inalienable right to independence. Africa remains convinces that any viable and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict necessarily involves the creation of two States living side by side in security, within secure, internationally recognized borders based on those before 1967.
We also remain very concerned by the situation on the Korean peninsula, and we urge all parties to exercise restraint. We reaffirm our commitment to the total denuclearization of the peninsula, in line with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The twenty-first century will undoubtedly be the moment when Africans will have a bigger and more decisive say. There is an increasingly strong feeling among African leaders and young people that the time for renewal has come. African women and young people are determined to write a new page in the history of humankind. Let us give them the opportunity or they will seize it for themselves. Together, let us create a globalization that is more humane and positive. Let us make our planet safer and let us preserve it. To that end, the 2030 Agenda, the Addis Ababa Plan of Action and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change offer a reference framework. Let us strive to implement them effectively.
I cannot conclude without launching an urgent appeal to the international community to provide better assistance to Sierra Leone, affected by one of the worst natural disasters in its history. Once again, we offer our compassion to and solidarity with the people and Government of that brotherly country.