Dating back to the eighth century B.C., the ancient Olympic Games were meant to be a force for peace and solidarity among ancient Greek city-States, which declared a truce for a period of seven days before the beginning and seven days after the end of the Games. Before every Olympiad, heralds in the…
We would like to express our appreciation to the presidency of Azerbaijan for convening this important open debate, as well as to the Secretary-General, the Executive Director of UN Women and the Under-Secretary-General for their important contributions. We align ourselves with the statement deliver…
I congratulate Mr. John Ashe on his election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. I convey my deep gratitude and appreciation to the Secretary-General for his work to strengthen the role and effectiveness of the United Nations, fully supporting the principles of the Char…
Greece aligns itself with the statement delivered yesterday by the observer of the European Union (EU) (see A/67/PV.77). I would like to make a few additional remarks in my national capacity.
Trafficking in persons ranks high among the heinous crimes of our time. This form of modern slavery is not …
On behalf of its sponsors, I am pleased to introduce draft resolution A/67/L.34, entitled “Return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin”, which we trust will be unanimously endorsed by the General Assembly.
At the outset, I would like to thank the Secretary- General and the…
Today we commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the opening for signature, in 1982, of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which has been described by the President of the third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea as a monumental achievement of the internation…
I would like to thank the outgoing President of the General Assembly at its sixty-sixth session, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of the State of Qatar, and to congratulate Mr. Vuk Jeremić of the Republic of Serbia on his election to the presidency of the Assembly at the sixty-seventh session. …
Since its inception, the ideal of the Olympic Games has been inextricably linked with the idea of the Truce. When King Ifitos of the ancient city of Olympia, concerned about the plague of war that was devastating the region, consulted the oracle of Delphi, the answer was unequivocal. A competitive s…
I should like to thank the outgoing President of the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, Mr. Joseph Deiss of Switzerland, and congratulate Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser of Qatar on his election as
President of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly. May I also express my gratitud…
Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are a challenge of epidemic proportions in our times. That conclusion is commonplace today. Those who have to deal with such diseases, in Government or in the professional sector, face this reality every day.
Also commonplace is the fact that NCDs are part of today’…
My delegation fully subscribes to the statement made earlier by the observer of the European Union. Allow me to make some additional comments in my national capacity.
In our globalized world, human rights have become a vital factor in the promotion of peace, justice, security and development. They …
This year marks three decades of fighting AIDS. The emergence and rapid spread of the HIV disease in the early 1980s came as a real shock. It is no exaggeration to say that the new virus raised an alarm for our countries, the World Health Organization and the United Nations. The epidemic broadened t…
I would like to thank the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fourth session, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki of Libya, for his tireless efforts in taking forward the Assembly’s work and to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President at the sixty-fifth session.
I would also like at thi…
Ten years ago, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) expressed a realization: the realization that we are all in this together. Whatever the problem, wherever it hits, sooner or later it will affect us all. In our interdependent world, there is no problem that can be dealt with in isolation and no…
This great Organization was built on the unique and powerful ideas that we should not inflict pain on one another for
any reason; that no child should go to bed hungry at night in any part of the world; that knowledge and health are rights and not privileges; and that we should keep ourselves in ba…
It is a great honour for me to take the floor on agenda item 45 in order to express my country’s wholehearted support for the draft resolution entitled “Building a peaceful and better world through sport and the Olympic ideal” (A/64/L.2).
Since 1993, the General Assembly has adopted eight resolutio…
It is with great honour and pleasure that I present to the General Assembly, under agenda item 43, a draft resolution on the return or restitution of cultural property to the countries of origin, contained in document A/64/L.17.
In recent years, the international community has become increasingly s…
On behalf of Her Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Ms. Dora Bakoyannis, who unfortunately could not be in New York today, I would like to address the General Assembly.
Allow me first to congratulate the President of this body, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki. I am confi…
Greece expresses its appreciation and support to the Security Council initiatives and resolutions for a more coordinated and thus more active and efficient international response to the phenomenon of piracy off the Horn of Africa. Greece is extremely concerned by the proliferation of acts of piracy …
I am truly pleased to commend, today, in this forum, Saudi Arabia’s current initiative on interreligious dialogue, launched under the auspices of His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Greece aligns itself with the statement delivered by Mr. Alain Juppé, Special Envoy of the President of …
