A/65/PV.19 General Assembly

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Lenín Moreno Garcés, Vice-President of the Republic of Ecuador, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

I would like to commend the election of His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session and to welcome his excellent proposal for the main subject of the general debate, “Reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance”. This is also part of Ecuador’s policy of strengthening multilateralism. To that end, we have continuously encouraged regional integration as the logical response to an ancestral heritage that never kept or defended borders between friendly countries. The wish for a united South America came to fruition with the establishment of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) as an area for genuine integration aimed, inter alia, at eliminating inequality and strengthening democracy. On 26 November, Ecuador will hand over the pro tempore presidency, which it has held since August of 2009, to our sister country of Guyana. In the same vein, Ecuador has fostered South-South cooperation as a mechanism for development, encouraging cooperation among the legitimate representatives of States parties. We believe that countries must be heard and their requirements and realities addressed, and that cooperation should be a reality over the medium term. I should stress that one of the most important endeavours developed within this space was the solidarity extended to the sister country of Haiti and its legitimate Government for its reconstruction, to attain the development it yearns for and to strengthen its institutions as it deserves. I wish to place special emphasis on the importance we accord to the issue of climate change. Ecuador is one of world’s 19 megadiverse countries. Its Amazon forest boasts the Yasuní Park, declared by UNESCO as a world biosphere reserve in 1989. Scientists agree on the unique value of this park, for its extraordinary biodiversity and state of conservation and for the cultural heritage it holds. The park concentrates Amazonia’s highest densities of amphibian, mammal, bird and plant species. Yasuní is also a Pleistocene reserve. There, species were not affected by glaciation, which preserved a process of differentiated evolution of new species. Moreover, the Yasuní National Park is the home of two indigenous peoples that have opted to live in voluntary isolation with respect to Western culture: the Tagaeri and the Taromenane. Both belong to the Huaorani culture, possessing age-old wisdom and cultural heritage. The wealth of the park also extends underground. In Yasuní there are oil resources from which Ecuador could obtain 846 million barrels of heavy crude. Three years ago, the President of Ecuador, the economist Rafael Correa, launched the Yasuní-ITT Initiative before this forum (see A/62/PV.7), which proposed keeping that oil underground, unexploited. If we fulfil this aspiration, we will prevent the emission of 407 million tons of carbon, the main cause of climate change, and we will leave intact the planet’s richest world biosphere reserve. To do this, we need to raise global awareness and gain the relevant international contribution, equivalent to at least half of the total revenue of $3.6 billion that the State of Ecuador would earn if it were to exploit the oil reserves. Ecuador is a country that is making major efforts to achieve development. But, as an act of generosity, the people of Ecuador have decided not to receive 50 per cent of the income that this oil would generate, so long as the international community makes the same effort. The Yasuní Initiative, as President Correa himself has said, is not just symbolic. It is the most important initiative for our country and for the entire planet. It would protect one of the areas richest in biodiversity — perhaps the richest in the world — and there is no doubt that it would contribute to mitigating climate change. The world will be able to assess the way of life of Amazon peoples, in particular that of the most vulnerable among them: the indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation. We have already created a capital fund administered by the United Nations Development Programme with the participation of the Ecuadorian State, our civil society, and representatives of our fellow contributing countries. I call upon our brother countries throughout the world, especially the industrialized countries, to support the Yasuní Initiative and, acknowledging the responsibility we all share for climate change, to seek original solutions to a problem that threatens the very survival of the human species. Ancestral Amerindian wisdom teaches us that the Earth was not inherited from our parents; rather, this magical creation is lent to us by our children. Ecuador has reached its targets related to the Millennium Development Goals, and it continues to promote them, including by setting an example for the international community. However, I wish to state very firmly that the Millennium Development Goals left out a very significant segment of the population and that, soon, they will reveal deficiencies in the social policies of countries. I am speaking here of the excluded among the excluded, the forgotten among the forgotten. I am referring to people with disabilities. Let us be clear: disability is not incapacity, but rather diversity. As there is geographical, cultural or bioclimatic diversity, there are also diverse capacities, and that is where talent, heart, dedication, perseverance and willingness lie. Ecuador has undertaken a bio-psychosocial, clinical and genetic study of all persons with disabilities in the country. We never in our wildest dreams imagined what we would find in that study: human beings left in holes in the ground, in cages, with silence as their only company and death as their only hope, human beings ashamed and shaming others. That situation no longer exists in Ecuador. Although much remains to be done, we have already accomplished much. As of now, we can locate via satellite every person with disabilities in Ecuador who needs help and provide them with the technical assistance they need, accessible and dignified housing, medical care, rehabilitation and integration in the workforce and the education system. In addition, we have created a subsidy, equivalent to a minimal living wage, to acknowledge the work and the dedication of those who care for persons with severe physical or mental disabilities. The expertise of the sister Republic of Cuba played a significant role in the execution of this detailed study. Cuba is perhaps the country that shows the greatest solidarity in Latin America because, when the time to help comes, they do not take into account the fact that they still suffer under the most infamous, illegal and illegitimate blockade in human memory, and which Ecuador condemns with all the energy of a grateful people. I must highlight the inescapable urgency of addressing the subject of human migration. Allow me to make an appeal to all countries, especially developed ones, to sign the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, which was opened for signature 20 years ago: 20 years ago. What, I ask myself, are we not one single race? Have we not similar problems? I also ask myself: do we not share the same evolution? Do we not have the same hopes for the future? Let us share the realization of the dream of universal citizenship. Let human beings travel wherever they want, whenever they want, as they do when they are at home and among family, and as should be the case around the world. I want to reiterate the Ecuadorian position condemning all forms of colonialism and occupation of territories by foreign forces. We reaffirm that dialogue must always be the mechanism of choice for the settlement of conflicts. We believe in the sovereign right of all countries to development and to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We want a world without nuclear weapons. We therefore recommend preaching by example. I will repeat that: we want a world without nuclear weapons, but our approach is to preach by example, so that that which we demand from others also becomes first and foremost a requirement for ourselves. I call for a definitive decision. Let us dismantle nuclear arsenals, so that just as we criminalize the manufacturing and marketing of illegal drugs, we would also criminalize the manufacturing and marketing of weapons of mass destruction — and if only that could be done for all weapons. There can be no world governance without peace. Nature is the best teacher of peace. I was born in the Ecuadorian Amazon basin. We call Earth our Pacha Mama. She and we are the same. The travelling poet Walt Whitman said, referring to all human beings, to all other beings on Earth and to the Earth itself, “every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you” (Song of Myself). We are made of the same atoms, which we share. We come from dust, we whirl around for some time and then we return to dust, to our Pacha Mama, to Mother Nature. But she has been abused and disrespected. Even so, in her agony, she is still generous. Rabindranath Tagore said that the Earth has been insulted and reviled, but in return offers her flowers and her fruits. I call on Member States, our brother countries, to share this revolutionary vision, to find peace and to make it everlasting, to change the history of the invaded, the polluted, the humiliated and the forgotten of the Earth. Let us create an army of warriors that carry no weapons on their shoulders or ammunition in their packs, but whose weapons are ecology, medicine, the defence of human rights and human solidarity, an army that fights the only disability that truly exists, which is the human disability. The only disability that exists is that of the heart. The enemy is inequality, which, although fierce, will be defeated. We will succeed, of course. Of course we will succeed.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice- President of the Republic of Ecuador for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Lieutenant- General Mompati Merafhe, Vice-President of the Republic of Botswana, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

It is my singular honour to extend my congratulations to you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly. I wish to assure you of the full support and cooperation of my delegation in the discharge of your onerous responsibilities. My commendation also goes to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and his staff for their commitment to the advancement of the work of this noble Organization. As Member States, we continue to find refuge in the provisions of the United Nations Charter and the full assurance that, when we are individually faced with insurmountable challenges and difficulties, we draw from the collective strength of the international community. Working together for a common purpose, for the common good is actually the sacredness of this, our grand institution. In this regard, we must all remain steadfast in our partnership on the agenda for poverty eradication, the pursuit of international peace and security, the combating of disease, the promotion of youth empowerment and gender equality, the promotion and protection of democracy, the rule of law and human rights, personal advancement through education, better health for all and harnessing technology for sustainable development. It is on account of this abiding faith and belief in the viability and primacy of the United Nations that, in spite of our resource limitations, we have over the years faithfully fulfilled our obligations to this Organization. The deliberations of the recently concluded High- level Plenary Meeting on the review of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), our global blueprint for monitoring universal progress towards shared development goals, clearly cast light on our strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities, individually and collectively. For this reason we need to redouble our efforts to accelerate the implementation of the MDGs in the remaining five years. Botswana is classified as an upper-middle-income country. However, despite having enjoyed stability and steady economic growth over a sustained period of time, the country still has to contend with a plethora of development challenges — ironically, in an environment of diminished international development assistance and support. The vulnerability of economies such as that of my country became evident during the triple global crises of food, energy and, most recently, the world economic and financial meltdown. To this end, we call for continued development assistance for middle-income countries, lest their hard-earned gains be reversed. In this era of growing and complex global challenges, the need for a more dynamic and proactive global financial, economic and political architecture is far more apparent than ever before. More specifically, the recent crises point to an international monetary and financial architecture that needs profound reform in order to enhance its early-warning capabilities and resistance to external shocks, as well as to facilitate the integration of poorer countries into the global economy. Botswana welcomes the important milestones achieved in strengthening United Nations operational activities for development and improvements in funding for development-related activities, as well as in strengthening the institutional framework for the gender architecture through the creation of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women — UN Women. The creation of the Entity constitutes an important step in fulfilling the commitments undertaken at the 1995 Beijing World Conference on Women, whose main objective was the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. Botswana fully supports the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Peacebuilding Commission. We believe that the role of the Commission should be properly defined by a robust mandate, through the amendment of the founding resolutions and the provision of adequate resources in order to enable it to effectively discharge its mandate. On a related subject, we fully concur that disarmament and non-proliferation are essential for the promotion of international peace and security. To this end, my delegation welcomes the progress made in some areas but remains deeply concerned that the Conference on Disarmament continues to be deadlocked. I wish to seize this opportunity to reaffirm Botswana’s commitment to the objectives of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which we continue to demonstrate through effective implementation of its provisions as well as compliance with the decisions of the successive Review Conferences. Consequently, Botswana associates itself with the outcome of the 2010 Review Conference of the States Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. We fully support the call by developing countries for the peaceful use of nuclear technology in areas such as agriculture, the environment, water management and medicine. However, countries that intend to embark on such use of nuclear technology should do so in a transparent fashion and in full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). We therefore call for increased financial support for the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programme as well as for the Agency’s capacity-building, in order to share technology utilization in the relevant areas. Botswana continues to be deeply concerned about increasing threats to international peace and security. As a peace-loving nation, we believe in the peaceful resolution of conflicts. It is because of this strong belief that we condemn, without reservation, all acts of terrorism, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, on which our well-known position remains unchanged. My delegation does not believe that the 9/11 attack was orchestrated by the United States of America. One issue of deep concern to my delegation is the erosion of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in some parts of the world. There is therefore an urgent need for us to reverse this trend, especially because it undermines all the efforts we have made to date to launch our countries on a path of peace, stability and sustainable development. To this end, we commend the various civil society organizations that have consistently sounded alarm bells regarding incidents of human rights violations whenever and wherever they occur. My country is of the view that the International Criminal Court needs to be supported in its efforts to resolve outstanding cases of arrest warrants that have been issued against persons indicted for the commission of serious crimes. It is in this context that Botswana remains resolute and steadfast in its support for the work of the International Criminal Court. We welcome the landmark decision of the Rome Statute Review Conference held recently in Kampala, Uganda, to extend the jurisdiction of the Court to cover the crime of aggression. Nowhere is our shared responsibility as members of the international community more critical than in protecting and nurturing our shared environment and our planet, Earth. To this end, it is pertinent to point out that climate change has increasingly become one of humanity’s most daunting challenges. The devastating natural disasters recently experienced in certain quarters of our globe amply demonstrate our vulnerability as inhabitants of the Earth. I wish to seize this opportunity, on behalf of the Government and the people of Botswana, and indeed on my own account, to express our sympathy and solidarity with all the countries that have been victims of such disasters. We would like to extend our condolences to all the families who lost their loved ones and those whose property and livelihoods were destroyed. We extend our profound appreciation to the Governments as well as private sector and civil society organizations that responded positively to the international humanitarian appeal launched by the United Nations on behalf of the affected countries. In particular, we would like to recognize the countries that led humanitarian interventions. We remain optimistic that the next Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change will achieve a successful outcome, one that fully addresses the interests and concerns of both developing and developed countries. In conclusion, we pray that this sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly will go down in history as marking a milestone in efforts aimed at addressing the most pressing global challenges of our time, as well as bringing hope and inspiration to the billions in despair throughout the world.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice- President of the Republic of Botswana for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Waheed, Vice-President of the Republic of Maldives, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

I would first like to congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election to preside over the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly. Please be assured of my delegation’s full support and cooperation. I would also like to take this opportunity to offer our appreciation to both your predecessor, Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for the exemplary manner in which he guided the work of the sixty-fourth session, and to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his leadership of the United Nations over the past four years. Last week, I had the opportunity to report on the Maldives’ progress towards attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). My report demonstrated that while we have achieved five of the eight MDGs — namely, Goals 1, 2, 4, 5 and 6 — several others remain challenges, and some achievements are increasingly becoming threatened. For example, the Maldives has made great strides in eliminating poverty, in education and in improving mortality rates among mothers and infants. However, we have yet to make significant gains in the area of the empowerment of women. We are also still struggling to provide for our environmental and development needs. Moreover, religious extremism runs counter to notions of equality and social justice and endangers our achievements in gender parity. All the while, environmental and economic vulnerabilities threaten to diminish our gains. Those gains, among others, have improved the lives of the Maldivian people and contributed to a situation that has led to our imminent graduation from the United Nations list of least developed countries (LDCs) this year. While we look forward to our graduation, we are also concerned about the sudden withdrawal of some of the benefits afforded to LDCs that have helped sustain our development efforts for the past four decades. Those include preferential market access and concessionary financing. While we were very encouraged by the pledges made by our partners at the donors conference held in the Maldives in March this year to invest in urgent development projects, we anxiously await the speedy disbursement of the promised aid. Furthermore, we look forward to working with our development partners to achieve consensus on a transitional model that provides for a gradual reduction of benefits to avoid the disruption of our development efforts, as stipulated in resolution 59/209. As a country on the verge of LDC graduation, we look forward to adopting a development strategy that places emphasis on greater independence and economic stability through private investment and public-private partnerships. Our Government’s policies on privatization and our employment of commercial diplomacy are designed to achieve this transition. However, like many other small island States, our geopolitical and socio-economic circumstances will continue to render the Maldives vulnerable. The impact of the recent global recession clearly demonstrates those vulnerabilities. As a country primarily dependent on tourism and fishing, the Maldives was severely affected by decreases in consumption in our traditional markets. As a result, the Government was compelled to implement severe austerity measures that cut public spending and undertook massive economic reforms. Nevertheless, our people continue to face formidable development challenges, and thus the Maldives will continue to push for greater recognition within the United Nations for the plight of small island developing States. The economic transition in the Maldives complements an ambitious political transition from autocracy to democracy. Although this is a daunting task, we have been successful in achieving important milestones over the course of these past two years. In fact, the two-year period of transition stipulated in our new Constitution concluded in August. This process resulted in the establishment of our Supreme Court and the creation of other relevant institutions. While our transition process was accompanied by some political discord, it was largely peaceful. Our friends in the international community helped us find peaceful solutions during this somewhat tumultuous period in our politics. I would like to thank all members of the international community for their continued engagement and assistance, and especially President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka for his constructive contributions. The Maldives’ transition to democracy has been accompanied by our evolution from an abuser of human rights to a staunch advocate for them. We are proud of what we have achieved, but are the first to recognize that there is no shortage of challenges that require our immediate attention. These include the need to abrogate the use of torture, the need to safeguard the rights of women, children and the disabled, and the need to improve our capacity to deal with human trafficking in our region. The Maldives is proud to have been elected to the Human Rights Council in May, and we are cognizant of the trust and responsibility conferred upon us by the overwhelming support demonstrated by United Nations Members across all regions. We will continue to uphold our pledge to use our membership to promote human rights through positive engagement and to address sensitivities in our collective quest to protect the most vulnerable. Moreover, the Maldives is undergoing its own universal periodic review this year, and we consider this exercise to be an opportunity to further strengthen human rights protections at home. While our interest in human rights is rooted in our ambition to improve the lives of our own citizens, it also emerges from our rising concerns about life in our now interconnected global village, where the need to compel tolerance, understanding and respect for human dignity is greater than ever before. We support the initiatives for a culture of peace, dialogue among civilizations and tolerance among different faiths. As a Muslim country, we lament the rising tide of Islamophobia in non-Muslim States. The people of the Maldives certainly appreciate the difference between Government-sanctioned incidents and those anti-Muslim activities that can be attributed to marginal segments of non-Muslim societies. However, we believe that religious intolerance, negative stereotyping, racial profiling and discrimination thwart this institution’s mission for peace and prosperity among all societies. Therefore, we must intensify our efforts to promote a culture of tolerance and understanding while pursuing an effective dialogue to expand the scope of rational discourse between the Islamic world and other civilizations. Some of the gravest threats facing humankind today do not occupy their rightful places in the headlines, nor do they gain the significant attention they require. We believe that climate change is such a threat. For the Maldives, the effects of global warming pose an overwhelming threat to our infrastructure, our economy and our very existence. In an attempt to implement adaptation measures, the Maldives has invested in water and sanitation projects and coastal defences and is attempting to develop voluntary resettlement programmes to more viable islands within the country. We are also investing in a low-carbon future that emphasizes renewable energy and other green projects to achieve our goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2020. It is obvious that our actions alone cannot save us. The global community must act. Regional initiatives that complement United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes must be pursued. Weeks before Copenhagen, the Maldives convened a group of countries and formed the Climate Vulnerable Forum to declare our concerns with a united voice. I am pleased to report today that Kiribati will take over the leadership of this group ahead of the sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Cancún this year, and that Bangladesh will steer it to the seventeenth session in South Africa next year. The Asian region is one of the most vulnerable to climate change. We recognize that failure to extend emissions targets beyond 2012 will leave 60 per cent of the world’s population without durable solutions for the global warming effects already being felt. Threats to food and water security for the world’s most susceptible populations will undoubtedly perpetuate disease, exacerbate conflicts and threaten to erode decades of hard-won successes achieved by countries throughout the region. While we have high hopes for the ensuing sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth sessions of the Conference, we believe that alternative solutions that harmonize the development needs of industrial States with the human and economic rights of vulnerable peoples should exist. Therefore, the people of the Maldives and Timor-Leste call for an Asian initiative that would forge a consortium of Asian countries and regional partnerships. This will aim to enable our region to aid the world’s most vulnerable States. The Maldives believes that it is time to let go of the mistrust and blame that has plagued the UNFCCC process. We welcome the recent voluntary initiative of India to curb its emissions and its commitment to promoting green energy without waiting for others to follow suit. We call upon all nations large and small to come together in a cooperative spirit in Cancún so that we may effectively establish and promote mitigation activities that will restore our native carbon sinks, increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and preserve our ecosystems. The Maldives would also like to state its support of the Group of Four position for reform of the Security Council. We believe that an expansion of permanent membership to reflect the realities of our contemporary international system will improve representation in the Council and better serve to address a panoply of concerns facing nations in all five regions today. The Maldives also continues to grapple with traditional security threats. The scourge of terrorism and the growing menace of piracy threaten national, economic and maritime security throughout our region and around the world. Yet deficits in the capacity to attribute criminal accountability to the perpetrators of terrorism persist. Our failure is marked by the advances in the modus operandi of terrorists, the proliferation of illegal technology transfer, and the surge in the trade of illicit weapons. The Maldives cannot stress enough the importance of this Assembly’s finalizing the draft convention on terrorism. Our geographical location in the Indian Ocean makes the Maldives particularly vulnerable to threats to its maritime security, as our vast open waters continue to prove difficult to police. We are deeply concerned over the surge in piracy that has moved beyond the Gulf of Aden into the Indian Ocean. If the international community does not increase its efforts, we fear that piracy may end up turning into an uncontrolled threat to security in the region. Thus, we were particularly encouraged by the adoption of Security Council resolution 1897 (2009) and are pleased with the work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia. We feel, however, that it is important for the Group to urgently establish an easily accessible legal toolkit for States that enables them to fill the vacuums in their national legal systems and address piracy in a comprehensive manner. The continued suffering of the Palestinian people deeply saddens the Maldives. They have been denied their right to self-determination and their right to live in peace and freedom in their own independent State for far too long. While recognizing the rights of the Palestinians, we also appreciate and support the right of the people of Israel to live in peace and security alongside an independent and sovereign State of Palestine. We continue our call for all sides to use the ongoing peace talks as an opportunity to resolve their differences, and are therefore heartened by the new initiatives being pursued by the United States in its pursuit of a Middle East peace treaty. Furthermore, we call for continued support for the Governments of Jordan and Egypt in their work on the Arab Peace Initiative, which we believe may provide an enduring solution to the conflict for the people of the region. Additionally, our pursuit of a more secure and just world and our respect for international law were the basis of the Maldives’ recognition of the independence of Kosovo, declared on 17 February 2008. The Maldives believes that the declaration of independence by the people of Kosovo reflects a last- resort remedy that embodies the best prospects for peace and stability in the region. The Maldives also welcomes the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice on the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, issued on 22 July 2010, which concluded that that declaration of the independence of Kosovo did not violate international law. While we have been disappointed by recent efforts to reverse this judgment, the Maldives welcomes the alternative solution, contained in the unanimously adopted European Union-sponsored resolution 64/298, as a positive step towards Kosovo’s assumption of full United Nations membership. Closer to home, the Maldives has borne witness to advances in democracy, sustainable development, and peacebuilding throughout the region of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Notably, we praise the progress made by the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, including the development of democratic institutions, as well as improvements in the areas of health, education and the status of women. We wish the Afghans continued success in their efforts to rebuild their long-suffering nation, and implore the international community to maintain their support of the Afghan people. Furthermore, the Maldives welcomes Sri Lanka’s success in its ongoing consolidation of peace and democracy, and we call upon the international community to support that country in its reconciliation efforts, as well as in its efforts to rebuild a nation torn apart by 25 years of sustained conflict. We are a small nation with big dreams. Our dreams are rooted in the vision of the Charter that binds the membership of this Assembly together here today. Our hopes are inextricably linked to the fears of the past that inspired this body and to the hopes of those who dream of a future grounded in justice, equity, opportunity and peace for peoples of the North and South, in nations large and small. Our humanity defines our obstacles, but we believe that our dreams for a better future defy our limitations.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice- President of the Republic of Maldives for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Mizengo Pinda, Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Let me begin by congratulating you, Sir, on your well-deserved election to preside over the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly. I assure you of Tanzania’s full support and cooperation. I also thank and congratulate your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Abdussalam Treki, for his leadership and accomplishments. Having just concluded a successful summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), I would like to congratulate the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his leadership, dedication and commitment to the work of the Organization and for the new momentum that he is bringing towards the achievement of the MDGs. Once again, we welcome his Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health and urge the international community to render the necessary support for its implementation. We emphasize the importance of national leadership and global partnership in meeting the MDGs. Tanzania will do its part. We call on all partners to do their part, as stipulated under MDG 8. One such successful partnership is the collective efforts of the African leadership through the African Leaders Malaria Alliance (ALMA), chaired by His Excellency Mr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Our focus within ALMA is on ensuring that we attain the 2010 targets for universal coverage of appropriate malaria prevention, diagnosis and treatment interventions. We are confident that, if the requested support is realized, we can attain that target. For that reason, we ask for the full and timely replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. We all know that the Millennium Development Goals will not be attained without sustained economic growth and sustainable development. For Tanzania, where the vast majority of the people depend on agriculture for their incomes and livelihoods, poverty cannot be alleviated without addressing the challenges of production, productivity and markets in the agricultural sector. Recognizing that, Tanzania has developed a programme known as Kilimo Kwanza, which translates as “Agriculture First”, aimed at transforming and modernizing the agricultural sector. A key component of the programme is the improvement of infrastructure, especially irrigation systems, transport and energy. However, the major challenge for us remains how to finance the huge investment gap in infrastructure. That gap cannot be filled by the public sector alone. For that reason, the participation of the private sector is imperative. Tanzania has undertaken a number of reforms to create an environment conducive to private sector investment. We have created the requisite legal, regulatory and institutional framework to attract both local and foreign private investment in infrastructure development. We now have a public-private partnership policy in place, and Parliament enacted a bill on such partnerships in June. Through a presidential circular, Tanzania also established the Tanzania National Business Council as an institution to provide a forum for public-private sector dialogue. The Business Council brings together public and private sectors with a view to reaching consensus and mutual understanding on strategic issues relating to the efficient management of resources in the promotion of socio-economic development in Tanzania. The Council’s Chairperson is the President of the United Republic of Tanzania. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania would like to reaffirm its commitment to democratic good governance, the rule of law and respect for human rights. The recent peaceful referendum in Zanzibar produced a new political dispensation that provides for a Government of national unity whichever party wins the elections. That should now stabilize Zanzibar and strengthen the democratic ideals that we all aspire to as Tanzania prepares for its general elections, scheduled for 31 October. As in previous elections, we will do everything in our power to ensure that these are peaceful, free and fair. We thank all partners that, bilaterally or through the United Nations system, are strengthening our capacity to realize that goal. Tanzania is pleased that Africa has continued to play a leading role in conflict prevention, management and resolution, as well as in entrenching principles of good governance. Increasingly, more and more African countries are holding free, fair and peaceful elections, followed by smooth transitions. The peaceful referendum in Kenya that paved the way for a new Constitution demonstrates the will of African countries to take charge of their own destinies. That is a matter of great satisfaction to us, and we commend the people and leadership of Kenya for that important achievement. We thank and commend all who continue to work hard for a political solution to the situation in Darfur that will lead to durable peace and address the humanitarian situation. We are concerned about periodic eruptions of violence, and we call on all sides in Darfur to join the peace process. In the meantime, we commend the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) for the good work that it continues to do under very difficult conditions. We therefore urge the international community to give UNAMID all the support that it needs. We note the preparations and progress towards the holding of a referendum in Southern Sudan early next year. We call on all parties to do everything in their power to keep to the timetable for that referendum. The referendum must be peaceful, free and fair, and the wishes of the people of Southern Sudan must be respected. We commend the Secretary-General for his initiatives to facilitate that process, including his decision to appoint a panel of eminent persons, headed by His Excellency Mr. Benjamin Mkapa, the former President of the United Republic of Tanzania, to monitor the process. We pledge Tanzania’s full support to Mr. Mkapa and his team for the successful accomplishment of the task ahead of them. We urge all parties to cooperate with the team, and we call upon the international community to provide the requisite support for the successful holding of the referendum and the peaceful management of its outcome. Tanzania will continue to play its role in ensuring lasting peace and stability in Africa and elsewhere. That includes contributing to United Nations peacekeeping operations and missions in Africa and elsewhere, including those we have deployed in Darfur and Lebanon. We are concerned about the worsening political, humanitarian, social and security situation in Somalia, which threatens the whole region and, ultimately, the world. Recently, we witnessed terrorist bombings in Uganda by the group Al-Shabaab, which caused the loss of many innocent lives and the destruction of property. Having been victim to similar attacks in Dar es Salaam in 1998, Tanzania condemns that barbaric attack in the strongest terms and expresses solidarity with and support for Uganda and other neighbours in tracking down and prosecuting those involved. We highly commend Uganda and Burundi for contributing peacekeeping troops in Somalia under the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM). We further thank all those African countries that have committed to providing additional troops to AMISOM. We ask the international community to provide the support needed to make that deployment possible and timely. However, the problem of Somalia cannot be left to Africans alone. In that regard, the Security Council must be more engaged and supportive in finding a lasting solution to Somalia. Tanzania is concerned about the continued increase in piracy activities in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, which are now spreading beyond the coast of Somalia. The piracy issue cannot be resolved on the seas alone or without addressing the causal factors on land. A coordinated, coherent, comprehensive and integrated response that includes political, military, financial and legal support is needed. The United Nations and the international community should work closely with the African Union, members of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and other neighbouring States to suppress acts of piracy, as well as to apprehend and prosecute those who commit that crime. In the United Republic of Tanzania, we recently amended the criminal code to allow our courts to prosecute suspected pirates under universal jurisdiction. We call on the international community to enhance the prosecution and custodial capacities of countries, such as ours, that apprehend and prosecute pirates. The international community must also agree to share post-prosecution custodial responsibilities with the affected States. Tanzania has also offered to train 1,000 Somali soldiers in Tanzania in the firm belief that, in the final analysis, peace and security in Somalia lie in the hands of the Somalis themselves. Over the years, Tanzania has been a home for many refugees. The current stability in our neighbouring countries has enabled voluntary repatriation of many refugees, in addition to those who have been naturalized. As a result, the population of refugees in Tanzania declined from 1.2 million in 1994 to 108,426 by 31 July this year. This has enabled the closure of 12 refugee camps. Tanzania has also continued its tradition since independence of granting citizenship to refugees who have been in our country for many years. In April this year, we naturalized 162,254 refugees who entered the country in 1972. The Government is now in the process of integrating these naturalized persons into Tanzanian society. This, however, is a costly exercise. It is estimated that the naturalization and local integration programme will cost over $146 million. This is a huge burden to a poor country like Tanzania. We call upon the international community to support this integration programme under the principle of equitable responsibility and burden-sharing. We join others in welcoming the adoption of resolution 64/289 on system-wide coherence, which, among other things, established UN Women. It is our hope that UN Women will receive the required support from the international community and the entire United Nations system to deliver on its mandate. Tanzania congratulates Ms. Michelle Bachelet on her appointment to head UN Women and assures her of Tanzania’s unwavering support as she discharges her duties. Tanzania’s experience as a pilot country in the delivering as one reform initiative has convinced us that this, indeed, was a good decision and has strengthened national ownership and leadership. I am pleased that Tanzania will, in January 2011, be the first country to present a common country programme. Tanzania fully supports the priorities that you, Sir, have set for the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly. Inclusive and democratic governance is as important at the national level as it is at the global level. It has, sadly, taken too long to give this issue the priority it deserves at all levels. We believe that the inclusive global governance agenda will ensure accountability and equitable participation in international trade and financial institutions, and open doors for fair and equitable participation of developing countries in the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Tanzania emphasizes and reaffirms the inclusiveness of the General Assembly as opposed to the Security Council. We thus call upon all Member States to press for the expeditious reform of the Security Council. Africa has the largest number of Member States. It cannot continue to be denied fair representation in that important organ of the United Nations. We urge all Member States to support Africa in its rightful pursuit of permanent representation on the Security Council. In this regard, Tanzania reiterates the decision of the African Union, as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus, which demands not less than two permanent seats with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership, including the right of veto, as well as five non-permanent seats. On the issues of the Middle East and Western Sahara, let me reiterate what His Excellency President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete said during the sixth-fourth session of the General Assembly in 2009 (see A/64/PV.6). Tanzania supports a two-State solution whereby Israel and Palestine would live together side by side and at peace with each other. Tanzania strongly maintains that this is the best way to sustainable peace in the Middle East. Regarding Western Sahara, the President also called upon the Security Council to expedite the process of giving the people of Western Sahara the opportunity to decide their future status. This matter has dragged on since 1975 — in other words, for too long. The time has come to end the impasse. Let me conclude by once again reaffirming Tanzania’s belief and confidence in the United Nations as the Organization and forum for global governance and the pursuit of the letter and spirit of its Charter: a world free from wars and dehumanizing poverty; a world of sustainable economic and social progress, as well as freedom, human rights and justice for all. We reaffirm our commitment to doing our part in pursuit of that world.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the United Republic of Tanzania for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Ali Osman Mohamed Taha, Vice-President of the Republic of the Sudan, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

It gives me great pleasure at the outset to extend warm congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I am confident that your election was the right choice. I would also like to commend the outstanding manner in which Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki conducted the meetings of the previous session. His statesmanship and experience reflected positively on the work of the session. We would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Secretariat for their ongoing and appreciated efforts. We followed with keen interest and actively participated in the preparations for the High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We have reviewed our achievements and identified obstacles and challenges in a way that will enable us to meet our obligations. There is no doubt that the success attained and the constructive recommendations submitted will encourage Member States to make further progress in this respect. We would like to underscore the great importance of development aid in achieving the MDGs and of the need to maintain such assistance even in the current situation of successive global crises and in the context of the increasing burden of foreign debt on the economies of the developing countries and their ability to achieve the MDGs. I would like to take this opportunity to give the Assembly a brief review of the recent political developments in my country, especially regarding the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, which was the subject of a high-level meeting on the Sudan held three days ago at the invitation of the Secretary-General and attended by a number of leaders and Heads of State. I note the concluding communiqué citing positive developments in the implementation of the CPA and the steps to establish peace in Darfur. It also commended the holding of public elections in the Sudan last April in an atmosphere of tranquillity and peace. International observers were witness to the credibility and integrity of the voting process. Arrangements are now under way for the holding of the referendum in Southern Sudan on schedule concerning the options of unity or separation. For our part, we are determined that our fellow citizens in the South shall have their say without coercion and in an atmosphere of freedom, integrity and transparency. We also hope that unity will be the voluntary choice of the citizens of Southern Sudan. We therefore call on all people to support and consolidate the unity of the Sudan and to participate in observing the referendum. We also welcome the Secretary-General’s decision to ask former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa to chair the United Nations panel mandated to observe the referendum. We also recall my Government’s efforts to consolidate peace in Darfur, which has undergone several positive changes that continue to promote the normalization of the situation. Lasting peace would restore to Darfur the vitality that has faltered in the past years due to conflicts fuelled by the proliferation of arms and by regional and international interventions. The recent positive developments have enabled the holding of elections throughout Darfur, helped to consolidate democratic legitimacy and led to the establishment of new elected institutions. These positive transformations, which have created new conditions on the ground, have encouraged the Government to develop a new strategy for Darfur, concerning which we have conducted broad discussions with the people of Darfur at the individual, collective and institutional levels, and with all the national political forces. We have also conducted consultations on Darfur with our partners in the peace process, first and foremost the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) and the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel ably and skilfully led by President Thabo Mbeke. Many of our partners in the peace process and the international community have also supported and encouraged this strategy. The new strategy is based on five key components: the establishment of security; the consolidation of development; the resettlement of internally displaced persons and people affected by the war so they can lead a life of dignity; the encouragement of internal reconciliation that would promote social peace; and the pursuit of negotiations with a view to drafting a settlement document agreed by the people of Darfur. The strategy envisages the completion of the negotiations currently under way in Doha through the sincere efforts and under the auspices of the sister State of Qatar. With a view to achieving the strategy’s development goals, the Government has appropriated from its own resources the sum of $1.9 billion over the next four years to cover the costs of development projects, in addition to what it hopes to raise from partners and donors. The strategy is designed to work closely with UNAMID, the Joint African Union-United Nations Chief Mediator for Darfur, and the African Union Executive Council in order to facilitate and arrange consultations with the people of Darfur so as to universalize reconciliation and establish justice for all through national mechanisms and in close consultation with all sectors of Darfurian society. It is worth noting that the strategy adopts a practical approach to implementation based on two pillars. The first is the adoption of the idea of partnership. In that context, the Government has endeavoured to establish partnerships with all States and organizations that wish to engage with it on the basis of the strategy. Foremost among those partners are UNAMID, the United Nations and its agencies and organizations, the African Union Executive Council, the African Union itself and its institutions, the League of Arab States and the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The second pillar is the exertion of special efforts to involve the citizens of Darfur — particularly at the grass- roots level and including elected representatives, civil society organizations and the internally displaced — so that the centre of gravity of the peace process will not be far removed from Darfurian society. Thus, the prescriptions for peace will be entrenched in the conscience of the people, which will facilitate their acceptance of them. This vision of peace has gathered powerful momentum from the positive changes in our relationship with Chad, in addition to our vigorous efforts to strengthen our regional relations in the interest of promoting peace in the Sudan. With a view to bolstering stability in the various regions of the Sudan and eliminating the causes of potential armed conflicts, in October 2006 the Government concluded, in the Eritrean capital, Asmara, an agreement with the Eastern Front. The agreement provided for security arrangements that led to peace and security throughout the territory. In order to reinforce our efforts to implement the agreement, it was agreed to convene an international conference on the development and reconstruction of Eastern Sudan on 1 December 2010, which the State of Kuwait has graciously agreed to host. Preparations for the conference have been jointly undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme, the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah, the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development and the Arab Development Bank, in addition to the Sudanese Government. The conference will focus on three topics: infrastructure, services and investment. From this rostrum, I appeal to Member States to participate actively in that important forum in order to establish stability in that part of the Sudan. We are committed to combating impunity, which is part and parcel of the principle of international justice and does not admit politicization, discrimination or selectivity. However, selectivity and politicization are prevalent in what is known as the International Criminal Court, which has become a tool to break the will of the people of the third world and to impose hegemony over them. We have all witnessed the hasty steps taken to subject a State non-party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to its powers and jurisdiction, as a result of which the established principles of international law fell victim to crude and unjust political intervention. Over the past six years, the Sudan has made progress towards negotiated political settlements with armed movements in the South, East and West. The involvement of the International Criminal Court, in this context, directly jeopardizes the peaceful settlement process that the country seeks. Therefore, we completely reject this intervention, which has no place in international law, logic or policy, and is wholly unjustified. We appreciate and commend the position of the African Union and other regional organizations to which the Sudan belongs, and of countries committed to the rule of international law that have condemned and strongly rejected the claims of the Court. Therefore, we call on the Security Council to reconsider its decision and to withdraw the file completely from the Court. In the light of the high- level meeting attended by representatives of all members of the Security Council and many other countries, and of the Secretary-General’s communiqué of 24 September commending the efforts of the Sudanese Government to fight impunity (see SG/2165), the Council should refer the entire file to the Sudanese justice system so that it can deliver justice pursuant to the established rules of international law and national legislation. After the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, we hoped that the international community would show cooperation commensurate with the Sudan’s many accomplishments. We hoped to be included in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Debt Initiative and to resume receiving much- needed development aid, like other States emerging from conflict, as reflected in relevant international recommendations and resolutions. That should be in addition to the special treatment that the Sudan should enjoy as a least developed country. Similarly, we believe that the announcement by creditors of their intention to cancel the Sudan’s foreign debts would dispel concerns about the referendum on Southern Sudan and the negotiations between the two parties regarding the post-referendum arrangements. We therefore call for cancellation of the Sudan’s debts, on the basis of the same standards applied to other least developed African countries. That would help fight trends that lead to confrontations and instability and the deterioration of development in developing countries. The African continent has continued to suffer from the repercussions of the global economic and financial crisis, as well as from the adverse effects of climate change, including their impact on the prices of food and energy. That has widened the scope of poverty and hunger and has increased social tensions, migration, displacement, armed conflict and the inability of African States, especially the developing countries, to cope with the humanitarian consequences of natural disasters. In that regard, we would like to draw attention to the need to accord priority, through the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, to questions pertaining to the continent on the United Nations development agenda; to build the capacity of African and African Union institutions to maintain peace; to take affirmative action in financing the continent’s plans for combating poverty, the AIDS pandemic and malaria; and to provide humanitarian assistance and upgrade the capacities of African States in order to strengthen their efforts in realizing the Millennium Development Goals. The question of Palestine has been inscribed on the United Nations agenda for many decades, while the Palestinian people have continued to suffer. They are deported, displaced, killed, and driven away from their homeland, despite the fact that the United Nations has adopted numerous resolutions that Israel has refused to implement, in clear defiance of the will of the international community. We call upon Israel to implement all international resolutions and return all occupied Arab lands in Palestine, the Golan Heights and Lebanon. An independent Palestine is a noble demand and is the legitimate right of the people of Palestine, supported by the calls of all peace-loving peoples and countries. We call for a Middle East free of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction. We underline the right of States to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful uses and to settle disputes through dialogue and negotiation. We also stress the need to renounce harmful propaganda and the sowing of fear, panic and tension in the region. We pinned great hopes on the success of an international consensus on the issues of the environment and climate, in view of the direct and severe effect of climate change on the life of people in my country and in many others, as confirmed by studies prepared by experts in this Organization and its specialized agencies. That has prompted the Secretary- General to draw attention to the close link between climate change and a number of armed conflicts on the African continent and elsewhere, in particular over Darfur. We therefore hoped that the efforts to address climate change would be crowned with success at the Copenhagen Conference and that the developed countries would pledge, on the basis of their historical responsibilities, to adopt strategies and programmes with clearly defined goals and principles aimed at addressing the root causes of climate change. We hoped they would pledge to provide the necessary financial resources for sharing responsibility for the preservation of this planet, while fully respecting the principles agreed on in the 1992 Earth Summit Declaration in Rio de Janeiro. I am pleased to recall the laudable attention my country has given to the problem of mitigating the effects of climate change through numerous programmes, plans and institutions, as well as by promoting the necessary awareness of the gravity of the problem among wide sectors of the population. However, that remains a moral obligation and a humanitarian mission and responsibility that demands joint international efforts.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Vice-President of the Republic of the Sudan for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming to the United Nations His Excellency The Honourable Orette Bruce Golding, Prime Minister of Jamaica, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

I would like to congratulate Mr. Deiss again on his assumption of the presidency of the General Assembly at the sixty-fifth session and, on behalf of the Jamaican delegation, to assure him of our full cooperation in the ambitious undertaking on which he has embarked. I extend Jamaica’s appreciation to his predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Treki, for so ably guiding the proceedings of the sixty-fourth session of the Assembly. We come to the Hall of this great institution as partners. It is the only organization of its kind, where countries of the world, no matter how rich or poor, big or small, powerful or weak, sit at the same table, joined together by the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members. As leaders, we are privileged to be the custodians of the world, mandated to secure for its people a just and peaceful existence and to enable them to achieve happiness and prosperity. We come with differing perspectives, shaped by our own experiences and the peculiar challenges we face. But we have long recognized that however unique our individual circumstances may appear, they are all affected by our interdependence. The impact of climate change shows that we all live under the same canopy. Diseases that can devastate whole populations know no boundaries and require no entry permit. Natural disasters are indiscriminate in the selection of their targets. The financial crisis on Wall Street did not disrupt just the American economy; it ricocheted across the world, affecting millions of people who do not even know where Wall Street is. Communications technology has rendered us neighbours in the same village, for no matter how vast the oceans that separate us or the continents over which we are scattered, we are affected or influenced for good or bad by each other. It is in that in mutuality, that interconnectedness and interdependency, with all our commonality and diversity, that we find both our strengths and our weaknesses. We have seen those strengths at work and what they can accomplish, the positive difference we can make when we surmount our differences and find common purpose in preventing wars and securing peace, in safeguarding human rights and promoting human development. And we recognize our weaknesses, our failure so often to raise our lowest common denominator to a level where consensus can more readily be found and action galvanized. We cannot afford to ignore the cynics who feel that we should have done more, for there is more that needs to be done. Some age-old problems still remain, and new challenges have emerged that threaten to undermine the achievements we have already made. We refuse to accept that after 65 years of our existence, 1.5 billion people — 1.5 billion — should have to live in poverty and more than 1 billion suffer the pangs of hunger. The playing field of the world is still not level, because the equality of our sovereignty has not been matched by the equality of opportunity. Now global warming, terrorism and transnational organized crime pose new threats to the peace, security and progress of the world. The heavy agenda set for the sixty-fifth session reflects the scope and complexity of the issues that confront us. Each of us approaches that agenda with a different set of priorities. Yet there are some issues that are so broad in their implications that they demand from us special and urgent attention. They manifest themselves in the stark reality of our existence: 20 per cent of the world’s population enjoys 75 per cent of the world’s income, and 15 per cent of the world’s population lives on less than 1 per cent of the world’s income. We come here as equals, but when we go back home some are vastly more equal than others. It is easy to blame that on the injustices of the distant past, the neo-colonialism of the more recent past or the Washington consensus of the present. That is only part of the story. Developing countries struggling with poverty and underdevelopment must accept our share of the blame. We must recognize that there is a lot that we can and must do for ourselves. Each of us must adopt and pursue with fixity of purpose the appropriate economic and social policies and good governance practices. We must be prepared to take the tough decisions that are so often necessary to secure the advancement of our people, and we must never squander the sacrifices we call on them to make. President Obama was right when he declared at the High-level Plenary Meeting last Wednesday (see A/65/PV.9) that each of us must assume leadership of our own transformation even while requiring the support of the international community. The existing international financial system and multilateral trading arrangements will not enable us to redress those imbalances. They have not done so up to now, and they are unlikely to do so in the future. Market forces and competitiveness are indispensable for economic development, but the new millennium cannot be defined by the survival of the fittest. We must make it our business to assist the weak to become fit in order not just to survive but to prosper. For almost a decade we have been trying to conclude the Doha Round in order to put in place a regime that facilitates the expansion of trade, which is so vital to increasing global prosperity. Redressing the lopsidedness in international trade is necessary if we are to restore and sustain global economic growth. It is just common sense that if one part of the world is not able to export more to the rest of the world, it will not be able to import more from that other part of the world. It may do so for a time by borrowing from that other part of the world in order to pay for its imports, but that is a bubble that will eventually burst. Many countries have seen that bubble burst in the recent global crisis. We insist that Doha must include a development dimension to build competitiveness and capacity in weak exporting countries, as well as special and differential treatment calibrated to our differing levels of development, economic size and vulnerabilities. That offers a win-win situation: more exports from developing countries mean that there will be more jobs for their people and more demand for imports from other countries. We urge that every effort be made to conclude the Doha Round in that spirit, and we urge, further, that the gains already accrued to developing countries in earlier negotiations not be unravelled. The global financial crisis exposed weaknesses in governance of the international financial system, weaknesses that have become more acute with changes in the global landscape and shifts in the centre of gravity of the world’s economy. We endorse the need for reform of the international financial institutions, in order to improve standards of efficiency and accountability, and the creation of a more democratic structure, one that will allow developing countries a greater voice. In the same vein, while we welcome the establishment of the Group of 20 as the locus of global economic policymaking, we urge that it institute a mechanism to engage the views of the wider, developing world. It is also important to establish a close working relationship with the United Nations to ensure complementarity with the role of the United Nations in economic development as mandated under its Charter. We urge also that the multilateral agencies move beyond what is now the paramount objective: to ensure that the international payments system is secure. The financial assistance provided to many countries during this time of stress, necessary and welcome though it is, is rooted in policies that are contractionary, designed to consolidate and stabilize even at the cost of increasing poverty and social dislocation. We have hardly learned from the experiences of the past. The gains made towards achievement of the Millennium Development Goals are being eroded and our ability to recover from the global shocks is being stymied. Bold new thinking is required, thinking that places development as the primary focus of multilateral intervention. We know we must make sacrifices, but let those sacrifices be an investment for our future, not just a tourniquet for our immediate dilemma. We too are disappointed that the climate change summit in Copenhagen failed to reach consensus on mitigation and adaptation strategies. While the Copenhagen Accord did not deliver the comprehensive agreement we had hoped for, it nonetheless provided political impetus for negotiations towards a binding agreement for the second commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol. We are hopeful that the Cancún meeting in November and December will further advance the process that will eventually lead to a legally binding and comprehensive agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Bali Road Map. With member countries that are among the most vulnerable to global warming, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its partners in the Alliance of Small Island States will continue to defend the long-term stabilization of greenhouse gas concentrations with a cap of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The 2°C threshold being advanced by some would be catastrophic for countries in our region and low-lying small island States in general, and we appeal to all our partners to coalesce around a temperature threshold that would preserve the viability of the most vulnerable countries — as was underscored a few days ago during the high-level five-year review of the Mauritius Strategy. The commitment by developed countries to provide $30 billion in new funding to assist developing countries to improve mitigation and adaptation strategies over the next two years offers an opportunity to prove the cynics wrong, to demonstrate that when we speak, we say what we mean and mean what we say. The catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January of this year and the recent disastrous floods in Pakistan are stark reminders of the increasing vulnerability of many countries and regions to natural disasters. We were shocked by the immensity of the impact of those disasters and saddened by the loss of life, the suffering and the destruction of property and infrastructure. We express our solidarity with the Governments and people of both Haiti and Pakistan. The reconstruction of Haiti is CARICOM’s most urgent priority. We commend the international community for committing almost $10 billion from 57 donor countries and organizations. However, we impress upon them the urgency with which actions must follow those commitments, especially in strengthening the institutional capacity of Haiti to undertake the mammoth task at hand. The Haitian people have suffered too much for too long. We have a duty to help them to make a fresh start and to embark on the journey of lasting progress and development. We underscore the important role of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti in helping to foster the environment necessary to ensure a sustainable future for the Haitian people. The danger to international peace and security of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism must remain at the top of the international security agenda. We are encouraged by the 2010 Review Conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in June, which elaborated on measures toward a nuclear-weapon-free world and the strengthening of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. We have no doubt that the new START treaty, signed between Russia and the United States of America in April of this year, was a contributing factor. We look forward to the ratification and entry into force of that treaty between those two States, which together possess more than 90 per cent of the world’s nuclear arsenal. Their faithful compliance with the treaty and their commitment to greater transparency in achieving further reductions will secure our hope for eventual nuclear disarmament. We are also encouraged by the resumption of talks between Israel and Palestine. It offers renewed hope for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, one that guarantees the security of Israel and the unquestioned recognition of a Palestinian State. We urge both sides to ensure that this renewed hope does not turn into despair. Latin America and the Caribbean are faced with the twin menace of the illicit trade in narcotic drugs and small arms. The open borders in the Caribbean make us an easy conduit for trans-shipment between the major sources and destinations of illicit drugs. The attendant crime and violence constitute a major threat to national development because they create instability and compel us to divert scarce resources to tackle this scourge. Jamaica has adopted a multifaceted approach to tackle crime and violence, relying not only on law enforcement but on strategic social intervention and social transformation initiatives to create new opportunities and inspire hope, especially among our young people, who are vulnerable to being recruited or conscripted into criminal enterprises. However, we cannot do it alone. The transnational nature of organized crime requires cross- border collaboration at the bilateral, regional and international levels if we are to combat the illegal trade and to tackle with equal vigour the supply, transit and demand sides of the international drug trade. The recent high-level meeting on transnational organized crime and the Fourth Biennial Meeting of States on Small Arms and Light Weapons were instrumental in reinforcing the need for the implementation of measures to curtail the growing threat. Those efforts would be strengthened by the conclusion of a legally binding instrument to curtail the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons and ammunition, and we urge the United Nations to approach this troubling issue with the urgency that it deserves. International institutions cannot retain their legitimacy if they do not adapt to changing times and the new configuration of the international community. The United Nations Security Council cannot be exempt from that process. Fundamental reform is required to address the existing imbalances in the current power structure of the Council and to secure expansion in both categories of membership in order to correctly reflect the contemporary global realities. In advancing the discussions on system-wide coherence, we support the need to improve the operations of the United Nations at the country level to ensure that the system can appropriately respond to the needs of recipient countries and to prevent the unnecessary imposition of undue conditionalities. In this context, we laud the establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), and we congratulate former President of Chile Mrs. Michelle Bachelet on her appointment as head of UN Women. I am confident that under her leadership significant progress will be made to achieve the goals of gender equality and to meet the special needs of women and girls worldwide. We must not allow ourselves to be imprisoned by our past but even as we look to the future we dare not ignore the experiences that have shaped our present condition. The transatlantic slave trade to which millions of Africans fell victim was one such epoch. CARICOM States are therefore pleased that our initiative to have erected a permanent memorial to honour the victims of slavery has won the support of the United Nations community, in keeping with the mandate of the 2001 World Conference against Racism. We commend UNESCO for its decision to launch an international competition for the design of this monument. Jamaica reaffirms its confidence in the United Nations as the indispensable forum for our collective deliberations aimed at addressing the major challenges confronting our world. We must take pride in our achievements, but we must always be mindful that our mission is not yet accomplished. We must never tire, even when burdened with frustration. Our impatience must be turned into renewed energy. Into our hands has been entrusted the responsibility to make this world a better place for all of mankind to live, prosper and enjoy happiness. That is what they expect of us. That is what they deserve, and that is what we must do everything in our power to deliver.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of Jamaica for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Allow me at the outset to congratulate Mr. Deiss on his election as the President of the Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I am confident that under his very able and astute leadership, the sixty-fifth session will be able to complete its proceedings successfully. Let me assure him of Malaysia’s full support for his presidency. Let me reaffirm Malaysia’s unwavering and continuing support for the United Nations and the multilateral principles, based on international law, that it embodies. Let me also reiterate Malaysia’s commitment to doing our part in our collective endeavour. We do so in the strong belief that all nations, no matter how large or small, rich or poor, strong or weak, have a common responsibility towards creating a better world for tomorrow. It is my firm belief that in order to create a better world for our future generations, we need to take into account today’s realities and learn from the lessons of yesterday. Among the most important challenges confronting the international community today that need to be addressed collectively is that of ensuring a just, equitable and durable peace — peace not just during our time, but peace for all times. It is imperative that we achieve peace based on a covenant of the willing, and not one enforced by way of hegemony through fear and coercion. Such peace can be achieved only if we are willing to constructively engage with each other through dialogue. Such discussions would help in creating a deeper understanding as well as appreciation of and respect for each other in our determination to create a better future for all citizens of the world. As a trade organization, the World Trade Organization remains relevant in today’s economic climate. Malaysia believes that the Doha Round must return to its original objective of ensuring free, fair and equitable trade. Let us join efforts and focus on moving the process forward and building on the progress and achievements to date. It is urgent that we conclude this matter as soon as possible. Since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals a decade ago, which galvanized the world into collective action, there has been a lack of efforts on joint endeavours towards the betterment of humanity. The missed opportunity at last year’s climate change meeting in Copenhagen is a wake-up call for all of us. We need to bridge the gaps in resolving and addressing the issue of climate change, which affects the lives and livelihoods of the peoples of the world and our future generations. On 7 June 2010, the Malaysian Parliament unanimously passed a resolution condemning the brutal Israeli attack on the humanitarian convoy in international waters. That resolution was based on humanitarian grounds and demanded that the Palestinians be given their basic rights, and that was why the members of the Parliament, regardless of their political alignment, stood together in full support of it. We reaffirm today our solidarity and sympathy with the people of Turkey and the families of the victims for their tragic loss. Malaysia understood the necessity of letting the multilateral system work. We were happy to see the establishment of the United Nations panel of inquiry and the international fact-finding mission of the Human Rights Council. We are pleased with the findings of the fact-finding mission, whose report (A/HRC/15/21) has found that the conduct of the Israeli military and other personnel towards the flotilla passengers was not only disproportionate but also demonstrated levels of totally unnecessary and incredible violence. That inhuman attack constituted a grave violation of human rights law and international humanitarian law. The Malaysian Parliament feels vindicated by those findings. We are now waiting for the panel of inquiry to complete its work. We want to see the perpetrators of the attacks brought to justice and adequate compensation provided to the innocent victims of the attacks. We want the United Nations to act justly and decisively, without fear or favour, in a manner that would ensure that transgressions of blatant international laws are dealt with and that justice is done and seen to be done. On the Middle East peace process, Malaysia is encouraged by the recent developments, especially the active role by the Obama Administration and the Quartet in seeking a comprehensive and lasting solution, a solution not only to the problem between Palestine and Israel, but also in the wider region. We welcome the recent initiative by the United States to host direct peace talks between Palestine and Israel. We also call on all parties to support, and not to be distracted from, these efforts to achieve the aspiration of creating two sovereign States, living side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders. For this to happen, the following prerequisites should be addressed. First, Israel must heed the high expectations of the international community to end this long-standing conflict. We call on the United States and other members of the Quartet to persuade Israel to end the construction of new settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Secondly, reconciliation efforts must bear fruit. The achievement of political unity among the Palestinians is vital in moving the peace process forward and in the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. Thirdly, both parties must eschew violence and ensure the protection of civilians and respect for international humanitarian and human rights law. While harnessing our efforts to promote international peace and harmony, we are concerned about the growing trend in some parts of the world to perpetuate or even fuel Islamophobia. Attempts to demonize Islam offend the one and a half billion adherents of the religion. It widens the divide between the Muslim world and the West. The real issue is not between Muslims and non-Muslims, but between the moderates and the extremists of all religions, be it Islam, Christianity or Judaism. In all religions, we have inadvertently allowed the ugly voices of the periphery to drown out the many voices of reason and common sense. I therefore urge us to embark on building a global movement of moderates from all faiths, moderates committed to working together to combat and marginalize the extremists who have held the world hostage with their bigotry and bias. We must — I repeat, must — urgently reclaim the centre and the moral high ground that has been usurped from us. We must choose moderation over extremism. We must choose negotiation over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other, and we must give this effort top priority, for time is not on our side. In this regard, we are heartened to note that a group of American evangelical Christians worked tirelessly to prevent the threatened burning of the Koran, with the compelling argument that it is in fact un-Christian to burn the Koran. This is a clear example of what can be achieved when moderates in each faith stand up to the extremists who are trying to hijack the universal values of our religions. We commend President Obama and Mayor Bloomberg for rising to the challenge by affirming the rights of supporters of the Cordoba House to be located near the site of the World Trade Center. This project will include a mosque and a multi-faith community centre open to all. We support the objectives of the Cordoba Initiative, an organization that focuses on promoting peace, understanding and moderation, both between Muslims and non-Muslims and within the Muslim community. All countries should encourage and support initiatives that promote mutual respect and peaceful coexistence and reject the extremists who divide us all with issues that have in the past brought about untold misery and hatred. Allow me to share my own country’s experience in managing issues of diversity. Malaysia is a multiracial, multi-religious, multicultural and democratic society that has benefited from positive interaction and synergy between the various communities. Mosques, temples, churches and other places of worship coexist in harmony. Although Islam is the official religion, we honour other religions — Buddhism, Christianity and Hinduism — by making their religious and cultural celebrations national holidays and celebrating them as national events. It is this equilibrium that leads to moderation or what is called wasatiyyah in the Islamic tradition of mutual justice. Malaysia stands at the geographical crossroads of the major civilizations and religions of the world. We are therefore well poised to play our part in promoting religious understanding, harmony and tolerance. To further strengthen our process of national unity, I have introduced a philosophy known as One Malaysia. One Malaysia is a vision that seeks renewal and rejuvenation to bring all our people together in a just and harmonious relationship. One Malaysia calls for the acceptance of diversity as a source of greater unity. We seek to celebrate our multiethnic and multi-religious society for strategic strength and harmony. It is time for the moderates in all countries and in all religions to take back the centre, to reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism and to marginalize the extremists. This global movement of the moderates will save us from sinking into the abyss of despair and depravation. This is an opportunity for us to provide much-needed leadership, to bring hope and to restore dignity for all. With greater will and collective determination, we will build a more peaceful, secure and equitable world.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of Malaysia for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Josaia V. Bainimarama, Prime Minister of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

I extend to you, Sir, and to this august Assembly warm greetings from the Government and people of Fiji. May I take this opportunity to congratulate you on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly’s sixty-fifth session and to pay tribute to your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Treki. As I highlighted last year in my address (see A/64/PV.10), Fiji and her people, through the Strategic Framework for Change, have embarked on a path of structural reform to modernize and liberalize our economy in line with today’s global environment. As part of this agenda, the Fiji Government has revamped its foreign policy. Our new foreign policy direction stems from the philosophical basis that, while we determine our own destinies as sovereign States, we must at the same time work in collaboration with all Member States towards sustainable world peace, substantive justice, dignity and respect for all. However, we cannot achieve these objectives or actually implement these noble principles if we simply rely on predetermined political influences or predetermined alignments. We must be prepared to expand the range of our international relationships and not simply subscribe to bloc voting. We must assess and decide each issue on its merits. We must decide each matter based on equality, substantive justice and international law. We must keep an open mind. This approach will result in the manifestation of a fairer and more just system for all Fiji’s citizens. This significant shift in foreign policy direction heralds Fiji’s globalization and maturity and demonstrates Fiji’s intention to become a good and engaged global citizen. Accordingly, over the past year Fiji has formalized diplomatic relations with many countries with which no ties previously existed. In addition, Fiji has sought membership of the Non-Aligned Movement. The broadening of our engagement with the rest of the world was given further impetus in Abu Dhabi in June, when, at the Arab League’s invitation, a summit was held between the Pacific small island developing States and the member countries of the League which was hosted by the United Arab Emirates. This commitment to be a good global citizen is further expressed through Fiji’s ongoing engagement with the United Nations and its associated agencies and secretariats. There is no better example of this engagement than Fiji’s long-term contribution to the cause of United Nations peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Fijian servicemen and women currently serve in peacekeeping missions in Iraq, southern Sudan, Liberia, Darfur and Timor-Leste. I offer my country’s tribute to the selfless service given by United Nations peacekeepers and peacebuilders, past and present, in the troubled regions of our world. We pay special tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to the cause of peacekeeping. On the subject of peace and security, Fiji is proud to have been among the Member States that in 2006 voted in favour of preparations for a robust and legally binding arms trade treaty in 2012. We remain committed to the work of the United Nations to curb the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. Fiji has ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions and regards this instrument as a welcome development for humanitarianism and international disarmament. It also remains fully committed to international efforts against terrorism. With respect to resolving the world’s territorial and sovereignty disputes, Fiji stands firm with all international efforts aimed at peaceful resolution through a process of genuine dialogue. It welcomes the recent resumption of direct negotiations between the leaders of Israel and Palestine and hopes for a successful outcome. Fiji is an active member of the Special Political and Decolonization Committee (Fourth Committee). Following our participation in the ministerial mission of the Melanesian Spearhead Group to New Caledonia this year, Fiji sponsored the Fourth Committee’s 2010 resolution on New Caledonia. We urge all concerned parties to accelerate the progress of the provisions of the Nouméa Accord. Over the past year, the Fiji Government has implemented a number of legal changes that have not only modernized our laws and brought about gender and social parity, but have also ensured compliance with international conventions. These changes include the Crimes Decree, which eliminated the archaic rules in respect of rape trials. We have implemented for the first time a comprehensive law against domestic violence to comply with our international obligation to protect the welfare of women and children. We now have child welfare laws which require the reporting of violence against children or suspicion of abuse of minors. These and other new laws assist in our compliance with the Rome Statute by recognizing crimes against humanity and incorporating them into our domestic laws. Fiji was also present in June at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute held in Uganda and is of course supportive of the work of the International Criminal Court. Reforms in our laws and outlook have helped us comply with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. They also support our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). I would like to reaffirm the critical points made at last week’s MDG Summit and at the high-level review of the Mauritius Strategy for the Further Implementation of the Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States. I make these points as one of the United Nations Members classified as a small island developing State. In spite of their considerable domestic efforts in cooperation with the international community, the small island developing States (SIDS) have had very mixed results in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Going forward, we and our development partners must examine where gains have been made and where efforts have been unsuccessful and identify country-specific priorities in order to achieve the MDGs. The threat of climate change, particularly sea- level rise, continues to hang over us all. While some of us are more vulnerable than others, we must work in concert as a responsible international family to mitigate the adverse effects of this global phenomenon. In this context, I reiterate the common call of the small island developing States: that the promised fast-track funding from the international community to finance climate change adaptation and mitigation measures be delivered without delay. Through the Pacific small island developing States, Fiji pledges to assist in securing increased representation of the Pacific island countries in the United Nations system. The aim is to also increase employment of Pacific Island nationals within the United Nations Secretariat and its affiliated bodies. Here, I should add that Fiji is playing a prominent role in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). I note that only a few days ago the Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, accepted a report on digitalization, including accessibility to broadband. In this area Fiji has also embarked on its own initiative for accessibility to and improvement in, telecommunications and information technology. This includes the process of finalizing a national policy on broadband and spectrum management. We therefore appreciate the Secretary-General’s initiative in this respect and urge him to carefully consider the report and provide impetus at the global level through the United Nations. Improved technology and e-access will provide that trajectory in meeting the MDGs and improving the lives of all our peoples. As one of the founding signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Fiji has kept its oceanic obligations at the core of its foreign policy. Fiji therefore follows, and also expects fellow Member States to adhere to, the legal regime of the exclusive economic zone that encompasses sovereign rights. Since it is the Year of Biodiversity, we call on the International Seabed Authority to be vigilant in safeguarding the environmental integrity of the world’s seabed. Within this context, one of the great challenges for Pacific small island developing States is to be effective in conserving the Pacific Ocean’s fish stocks. They are critical to our livelihoods, our economies. Countries that overexploit these fish stocks must be informed that the practice is unsustainable. As owners, investors and harvesters, we should follow and adhere to international law and chart a path to sustain stocks for the benefit of all. What I say today is that we must recognize that meaningful dialogue is essential — within our respective countries, within our respective regions and in the world as a whole. Seeking to achieve resolutions and solutions through dialogue is the way forward. In the true spirit of international cooperation, we must at all times, as sovereign States in our community of nations, develop and maintain relationships based on respect, dignity and equality. We must also decide on issues and matters before this august Assembly based on merit, justice and international law. Once again, I congratulate you, Mr. President, on your election and offer my best wishes for a productive sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the Republic of the Fiji Islands for the statement he has just made. Address by His Excellency Mr. Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister and Minister for Defense and Public Service of the Kingdom of Lesotho The President (spoke in French): The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister and Minister for Defense and Public Service of the Kingdom of Lesotho.

I have great pleasure in welcoming to the United Nations His Excellency Mr. Pakalitha Bethuel Mosisili, Prime Minister and Minister for Defense and Public Service of the Kingdom of Lesotho, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Allow me, Sir, to congratulate you on your well-deserved election to the office of President at the sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly. Your career as a leader and diplomat speaks for itself. I assure you of my delegation’s support during your tenure of office. I should also commend your predecessor, His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, for a job well done. The choice of theme for this session of the General Assembly, namely, reaffirming the central role of the United Nations in global governance, is not only apt but inspired. The founding of the United Nations was propelled by the determination to save future generations from the scourge of war. It was driven by the desire to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, the rule of law and, not least, to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom. For the past 65 years, this Assembly of nations has been convening here every year in pursuit of the lofty ideals of the United Nations. Yet for 65 years, the achievement of these ideals has eluded us. Unilateralism and war remain the order of the day. Disrespect for international law, vast economic inequities, injustice and suppression of basic freedoms are the challenges we face today, just as we did 65 years ago. In addition, we have climate change, financial and economic crises, terrorism and religious intolerance to contend with. Needless to mention, such challenges have heightened threats to world stability and international peace and security. Let the events of the first decade of this millennium be a lesson for all of us to learn and treasure. We have learned a lesson in the futility of unilateralism, intolerance and war; that selfishness in world relations is suicidal. We have learned a lesson in the value of collective decision-making and inclusive development, if our planet and its inhabitants are to survive. These lessons say to us that mankind must turn away from the path of self-destruction. The route to peace and stability is clear to all of us, yet we continue to lose ourselves in the wilderness of instability and poverty, because we are blinded by ulterior motives. If we value the lessons of the past decade, we must accept that war is brutal, destructive and unacceptable. The founding fathers of the United Nations were right when they affirmed the centrality of the United Nations in global decision-making and governance. We must admit that great injustices are being committed during our times and that human rights are being trampled upon as we stand by silently. In this regard, for decades now, the people of Western Sahara, Cuba and Palestine have been calling on this august body for help in reversing the injustices, humiliation and atrocities that are visited upon them by colonialism, unilateral economic blockades and brutal occupation. Even today, the people of these territories are still calling. They are calling to you. Will you listen and respond, or will you look or walk away? Surely we cannot condone injustice and yet hope for peace. Sustainable peace can only be based on justice and the protection of basic freedoms for all. By the same token, Zimbabwe must be freed from unilateral sanctions, as her people work together under the unity Government to determine their own future under the leadership of their own choice. In addition, external interests must not be allowed to take precedence over the desire of the people of Madagascar for democracy and stability in their country. Somalia is a festering wound on the African continent. Let us rise to the appeal that was made by the President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to the Assembly a few days ago. He urged us to assist the people of Somalia to join the international movement for the achievement of peace, the rule of law and the Millennium Development Goals (see A/65/PV.16). Planet Earth is the only world in which we can live in shared prosperity and peace. In the wake of the devastating effects of climate change, we all converged in Copenhagen with optimism, but left with mixed feelings following lack of international consensus and the necessary political will. In the meantime, climate change continues to wreak havoc, particularly in those vulnerable developing countries that do not have the means to adapt to or mitigate the impacts of global warming. Lesotho signed the Copenhagen Accord because we believed that it represented a step forward, even though it did not fully satisfy our aspirations. It is our hope that, the forthcoming Conference in Cancún, Mexico, will achieve international consensus, leading to a legally binding regime on the management of climate change. The just-ended High-level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals confirmed to us that the recent economic and financial downturn has disrupted our strategies for achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. Despite this fact, we appeal to our development partners to fulfil their official development assistance commitments to help accelerate our progress in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The world is still grappling with terrorism. For as long as this menace exists, there will not be peace on Earth. Terrorism knows no boundaries and does not respect human life. There is neither a country nor an individual who can claim immunity from terrorism. Terrorist groups are benefiting from globalization by decentralizing their operations, building new partnerships with armed groups, and using advanced technology to further their cause. This menace will not be eradicated until we address the root causes, not the symptoms, of terrorism. Religious intolerance is closely related to terrorism. We must acknowledge that religious tolerance is a prerequisite to international peace and stability, and that the world’s diversity of cultures and religions must be respected and tolerated, as it represents the strength and collective heritage of humankind. Cultivation of the culture of religious tolerance must be inscribed high on the agenda of the international community. One of the fundamental conditions for maintaining international peace and security is our commitment to the disarmament and non-proliferation agenda. More than six decades after the founding of the United Nations, disarmament sadly remains a major challenge for the international community. Today we see a steadily growing list of de facto nuclear-weapon States. Proliferation of the weapons of mass destruction must stop. So must the development of new generations of nuclear weapons by nuclear-capable States. We must strive for a nuclear-weapon-free world. It is the responsibility of those States to stop threatening the use of nuclear weapons as an option in the pursuit of their foreign policy interests. Lesotho will continue to join hands with all peace-loving nations to support international disarmament and non-proliferation regimes. While the international community has registered some successes in consolidating peace in some parts of the world, a significantly large number of conflicts remain unresolved. Some of these conflicts are in Africa. As African leaders, we purposefully declared 2010 as the Year of Peace and Security in Africa. We resolved to find African solutions to African problems. However, we have acknowledged our shortcomings in terms of capacity in peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Consequently, we look to the international community to complement our efforts and resources in this regard. Conflict-affected countries must also have the necessary political will to accommodate and facilitate legitimate external intervention that is intended to resolve conflict. At the same time, they must not abandon their primary responsibility as Governments to protect all their citizens. In conclusion, it is my considered view that all these challenges can be overcome, if we accept that the United Nations is a place where a better and more secure life for humankind must be championed. But its structures should be reformed to efficiently fulfil this noble mandate. Multilateral diplomacy should supplant the traditional unilateral path in the resolution of disputes. The United Nations must not be held hostage to the desires of any single country or group of States. Its actions should reflect as wide a consensus of Member States as possible. Let us continue to reaffirm the central role of the United Nations in global governance. Let us remember that might can never be right and can never defeat collective resolve. It is only then that collectively we shall be able to promote progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister and Minister for Defense and Public Service of the Kingdom of Lesotho for the statement he has just made. Address by Mr. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance of the Independent State of Samoa The President (spoke in French): The Assembly will now hear an address by the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance of the Independent State of Samoa.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance of the Independent State of Samoa, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

Our world continues to change in profound ways. Technological advances have accelerated globalization, bringing diverse challenges and new agendas. The magnitude of today’s threats requires holistic solutions with a multilateral approach. No one country, however powerful, can meet them on its own. Nations of the world need to work together to forge a coordinated approach. It is a shared responsibility, and the problems will be solved successfully only through effective collaboration. To meet the challenges, a vibrant institution that is up to the task and responds to the imperatives of our time is required. Sixty-five years ago, the world created the United Nations as the legitimate authority for our collective peace and security. International cooperation and solidarity formed the bedrock of its existence. To this day, the United Nations provides the only viable framework and legitimate authority for acting globally to address issues that transcend national borders. As a world institution, the United Nations needs to pay attention to its ability to offer itself as a safe place, not just for its traditional stakeholders — the Member States — but also for international organizations, the business community and civil society. Partnerships with those sectors of society are an important vehicle through which the United Nations helps the development of individual countries, and they allow our Organization to achieve, in large measure, the key objectives of its mission. Our Organization is not without shortcomings, and that is why we must constantly redefine its role and adapt it to respond to the needs of the world that it exists to serve. That is why, with regard to Security Council reform, Samoa has not wavered over the years from its principled support for an expanded Council in both the permanent and non-permanent memberships. The economic and political liberalization has changed the contemporary geopolitical realities and landscape, and the therefore enlargement of the Security Council in both categories is essential for true multilateralism and for the Council’s integrity and credibility. Equally vital is the ongoing reform to give prominence to the General Assembly as the truly deliberative and representative body in the global decision-making process, giving voice and representation to all Member States, irrespective of a country’s wealth and might. That was the basis for Samoa becoming a Member of this world body over 30 years ago. The threat of climate change is grave, having dire implications for global peace and security. It threatens to intensify existing drivers of conflict in a way that could roll back development across many countries. The causes of climate change and those responsible for them, the multifaceted threats it poses and the solutions to mitigate and adapt against its negative impacts are well documented and duly validated by science and real life experiences. A new climate change instrument is currently under negotiation. Progress has been painfully slow, which contradicts the gravity and urgency of the problem. Sadly, vested national interests are taking precedence over concern for a global and just solution. Intransigent positions are being advanced to force concessions and to frustrate progress. For a privileged few, their fortunate geographies and resource endowments may persuade them to feel that climate change is not an urgent priority and that they can afford to wait out the negotiation of a legally binding climate change agreement for as long as it takes. There is no such luxury for island nations, which paradoxically are at the front line of the destructive impacts of climate change but are least responsible for its causes and often least able to respond and adapt. Indeed, for some island nations, climate change threatens their very existence and survival as sovereign States. With the stakes so high, climate change is unquestionably an immediate and urgent priority for the world. It would be a big mistake for any country to think otherwise. Similarly, it would be unhelpful to view climate change simply as an environmental issue. Climate change is cross-cutting and endangers economic and social development, with serious implications for the peace and security of our communities, whether its impact is national or transborder. Any new climate change treaty, no matter how ambitious, comprehensive and binding, will be ineffectual without full membership and the participation of all United Nations Member States, especially those with the obligation to participate. Inaction should not be blamed on the absence of solutions to reverse the impacts of climate change but rather on the unwillingness of some countries to be part of a unified global solution. The much publicized fast-track funding announced in Copenhagen to meet the adaptation needs of the most vulnerable countries has become a best- kept secret. Information on how much of the pledges have been honoured and disbursed, and to whom, has been scarce. When available, the information is vague and seems bereft of coordination. Yet the fast-track resources were commitments made at the highest political level, in recognition at Copenhagen of the pressing need for an interim measure to help the most vulnerable countries avert further harmful effects of climate change, pending the conclusion of a negotiated agreement. The uncertainty as to the legal form, content and completion date of a new treaty makes it a moral imperative for the promised fast-track resources to be made available without delay and with clear, simplified guidelines to ensure that the intended recipients do indeed secure assistance. Between now and the conference in Cancún, States parties should move beyond rhetoric and commit to reaching an agreement, as a minimum, on those building blocks of the Bali Action Plan where negotiations have reached a level of maturity and convergence on agreed compromises. We cannot continue to defer making the hard decisions. We need to reclaim the credibility of the process. Every day of indecisiveness disproportionately increases the risks to vulnerable countries that are experiencing more frequent and severe climate change impacts. We cannot afford to leave Cancún empty-handed. Concrete results must be achieved, not only to give our people confidence that there are substantive responses to protect against climate change, but at the same time to strengthen our belief that our United Nations can deliver a legally binding agreement. Our global security is at risk. Terrorism transcends international borders in its attack on universal values. Like other international threats, terrorism is an area of mutual concern that demands a collective response. Terrorist acts committed under whatever pretext are deeply deplorable and should be strongly condemned. Those who find self-glorification in the atrocious crimes that they commit should not expect any sympathy or be provided safe havens to hide. The non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the risk of their acquisition by terrorists, criminals and others should continue to be a top priority of the United Nations. Nuclear terrorism is one of the most challenging threats to international peace and security. A world without nuclear weapons is a safer, more secure and prosperous place to live. We have heard from this podium of the renewed efforts of the major nuclear-weapons Powers to restart the reduction of their nuclear arsenals. That is encouraging, but we believe that the only absolute guarantee against the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons is through their total elimination. In that connection, we are comforted by the announcement of the United States Government earlier in the year that it was moving towards ratification of the Pacific region’s nuclear-free-zone treaty. The peacekeeping work of the United Nations contributes, in large measure, to the stability of countries and regions where it has a presence. It is one of the Organization’s growing and most visible mandates and has the full support of my Government. Samoa’s policewomen and policemen are serving side by side with officers of other contributing countries in peacekeeping missions in Timor-Leste, the Sudan and Darfur. In our Pacific region, we continue to honour our commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands, under the aegis of the Pacific Islands Forum, through our police contingents. Samoa welcomes the recent initiative, brokered by the United States, for direct negotiations between the leaders of Israel and Palestine to advance the two- State solution, with the nations of Israel and Palestine living alongside each other in peace and security. We remain hopeful that with the genuine support and understanding of other leaders in the region, this will not be another missed opportunity. This Wednesday marks the first anniversary of the tsunami that devastated my country, resulting in a heavy loss of life, injury and destruction of property. Life will never be the same for the survivors and those who lost loved ones. However, a sense of normalcy has returned and stability has been re-established. With the generous support of our development partners, the reconstruction phase is progressing well and the families and villages affected have been resettled on higher ground inland, away from the coast. The necessary infrastructure and utilities for the new settlements are well on their way towards completion. The progress achieved would not have been possible without the kindness and understanding of Samoa’s development partners and the international community. Of significant importance to Samoa in its efforts to reinvigorate the economy following the dual impacts of the tsunami devastation and the financial crisis is the recent Assembly resolution (resolution 64/295) granting Samoa three more years, to 2014, to put in place a transition strategy to guarantee the sustainability of its economic performance after its graduation from least developed country (LDC) status in that year. Samoa’s post-tsunami experience and the passage of the consensus LDC resolution are important demonstrations of the close and warm relations that my country enjoys with United Nations Members. At the bilateral and personal level, my Government has already acknowledged the timely and tremendous support of all who contributed during the emergency and in the recovery and rebuilding phases in the aftermath of the tsunami. The United Nations membership was similarly thanked when our LDC resolution was adopted. Nevertheless, on behalf of the people and Government of Samoa, I would like here in the General Assembly to again convey our sincere appreciation to all our development partners, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the People’s Republic of China, the European Union, the United States of America, our Pacific neighbours, the United Nations and its related and specialized agencies, and others too many to mention for their generosity and kindness to Samoa. We are very grateful.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Finance of the Independent State of Samoa for the statement he has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming Her Excellency Ms. Antonella Mularoni, Prime Minister of the Republic of San Marino, and inviting her to address the General Assembly.

I wish to congratulate you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. We are confident that your considerable expertise in the field of foreign policy and economics will be decisive for the success of all sectors of United Nations activity. I also wish to thank the outgoing President, His Excellency Ali Abdussalam Treki, for the excellent work carried out during the Assembly’s sixty-fourth session. I would like to express special thanks to the Secretary-General, His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his energy and extraordinary determination in leading this Organization. In particular, San Marino appreciates the interest he has shown towards all Member countries, without any distinction, regardless of their size. My Government has particularly appreciated the Secretary-General’s commitment in the field of reforms and his constant presence in all international politically relevant situations and in emergency situations. His presence in Haiti and Pakistan in the days following the terrible events that we all witnessed demonstrates not only the determination to affirm United Nations presence during crises, but also a personal and particular sensitivity towards tragedies deeply affecting people. At a time characterized by major global challenges that the international community is called upon to face, the United Nations reform process becomes fundamental for future world stability and must remain the target of all our efforts. We have the duty to guarantee the full effectiveness of the Organization’s activities, with a view to preserving and strengthening its essential value as a point of reference for the international community and for any individual. We cannot afford to see the role of the United Nations weakened through inability to reach agreement on the measures to be taken to improve its functioning. I have the pleasure to reiterate again this year the support San Marino grants to the revitalization process of the General Assembly. In that regard, I wish to thank Argentina and Slovenia, Co-Chairs of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the revitalization of the General Assembly, for the Group’s recently approved report (A/64/903), which is the outcome of considerable efforts and many informal meetings with the States Members of the United Nations. This reform is particularly important for my country, since the General Assembly is the most democratic body of the United Nations and, as such, the most effective and sometimes the only forum where a small State can express its opinions. San Marino therefore hopes that through this reform, the Assembly may work more efficiently and improve its relations with the other main bodies of the United Nations to avoid duplication of activities and effectively implement its resolutions. The Republic of San Marino has been following with interest the Security Council reform process since 1994, and it is grateful to the Afghan Chair of the intergovernmental negotiations on Council reform for the important work he has carried out this year and for the wisdom and impartiality with which he has presided over negotiations aimed at reaching the broadest possible agreement. San Marino believes that the reform should lead to a more democratic, responsible, transparent and efficient Security Council. The reform should also bring about a more balanced relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly, as well as more effective cooperation with the Secretariat. Those objectives can be achieved only through a permanent dialogue among States and increased flexibility in the respective positions. I wish to congratulate you, Mr. President, on the choice of the theme for this year’s session — the role of the United Nations in global governance. That is a particularly complex subject, since it concerns the global threats that affect the destinies of our peoples in an increasingly direct way: climate change and biodiversity, the economic, financial and employment crises, food security, public health, disarmament and the proliferation of weapons, and the fight against terrorism. Today, the theme of global governance is inevitably linked to a new way of conceiving multilateralism and to a new form of international cooperation, one that acknowledges the interdependence of the problems we face at the international, national and regional levels. We have learned from the crises of the last few years that it is necessary to adopt an integrated and comprehensive approach, more efficient mechanisms for coordinating our policies, and a global and coordinated course of action. San Marino believes that the United Nations has a duty to be at the core of that process and to play a leading role in managing global governance, not only because of its deeply democratic nature, with universal participation and undisputed legitimacy, but also because — thanks to the richness and diversity of cultures and traditions represented here — it can adopt an approach that harmonizes the interests of the entire international community and aims at sustainable development for all peoples. Last year, the world economy suffered a devastating financial crisis, the consequences of which are still evident to all. Today, unemployment has reached extremely high levels in many countries. Increases in the prices of food products and persistent inequalities contribute to higher poverty rates and cause high social tensions and violence. The global economic and financial crisis has severely hit every country in the world, with no distinctions, thus becoming one of today’s major challenges for our Organization as well. Some have been able to withstand the crisis, while for many others it is unfortunately still a very immediate problem, influencing all decisions. Despite the gradual recovery of the global economy this year, it is fundamental that we always coordinate policies, and coordinate them effectively, with a view to guaranteeing balanced, inclusive and substantial growth. In that regard, San Marino recognizes the essential role played by the Group of 20 (G-20), which in 2009 was able to prevent a global economic depression by taking coordinated and timely action. However, the G-20 decision-making process should be even more inclusive and transparent, so that its decisions can translate into effective action at the global level. That requires developing specific mechanisms through which the interests, concerns and aspirations of countries outside the G-20 can be taken into account, with particular reference to developing countries, in order to favour G-20 actions complementary to those of the United Nations. Over the last two years, the Republic of San Marino, well aware of the interconnectedness of global economic and financial policies, has intensified its efforts to make its legislative instruments and practices relating to transparency and international cooperation compliant with international standards established by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and MONEYVAL. Within a short period, laws to combat money-laundering and terrorist financing were adopted, banking and financial supervision services were reorganized and amendments were made to company legislation, eliminating anonymous companies. The San Marino Government expresses its satisfaction with resolution 64/289, on United Nations system-wide coherence, which the General Assembly unanimously adopted on 2 July. That resolution, the result of year-long negotiations, is an historic achievement for the reform process of the United Nations, in particular for strengthening the entire system. It provides for a higher degree of coordination, efficiency and transparency, while avoiding fragmentation, waste, duplication of tasks and effort. A fundamental element of that resolution is the establishment of the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, to be known as UN Women, which will become operational on 1 January 2011. The mandates of four existing bodies concerned with the promotion of women’s rights will be transferred to this new entity, which will strengthen, in terms of capability, efficiency and responsibility, the United Nations system in the field of gender equality and the empowerment of women. The Republic of San Marino pays special attention to this subject and over the last few years has promoted several national initiatives making women in San Marino aware of their rights and of the State protection mechanisms available to them. At the international level, San Marino has joined several campaigns aimed at raising awareness of women’s rights among the public and national authorities, such as the Unite to End Violence Against Women campaign, launched by the Secretary-General in 2008. I would like to underline on this occasion the fundamental importance of the efforts of the international community, as well as pressure exerted by civil society, to achieve higher standards of human rights protection. Moreover, we cannot forget that women and children are always the most vulnerable section of society in situations where rights and fundamental freedoms are violated. In several countries, women have to face very difficult situations: many of their rights are often violated and the authors of the violations go unpunished. The international community must spare no effort to ensure that the dignity, rights and fundamental freedoms of all human beings are duly protected. San Marino also believes that the international community should be responsible for working as effectively as possible to combat human trafficking. Today that modern form of slavery still affects millions of people, the majority of whom are also women and children. The Republic of San Marino attaches the utmost importance to the adoption last July of resolution 64/293, which contains the United Nations Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons. The collective commitment to combating trafficking in persons led to the adoption of that resolution, the result of long consultations and complex negotiations. San Marino guarantees its support for this initiative and will cooperate with all Member States in order to implement the Plan of Action. This initiative is particularly important to us, since this year we ratified the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and its Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. As underlined in the Secretary-General’s report “Keeping the promise” (A/64/665), the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals have brought about a slow but progressive improvement in the fight against extreme poverty, hunger and disease and in the promotion of gender equality, education and environmental sustainability. However, the report outlines that progress has been discontinuous and uneven from one region to another. We have recently witnessed a series of severe and unprecedented crises, including the world economic and financial crisis, the food and energy crisis, the one related to climate change, humanitarian crises — including the recent earthquake in Haiti and the huge floods in Pakistan — and those caused by the increased number of conflicts. After having obtained good results, we are now experiencing a severe setback, and an even more structured commitment will be necessary to overcome those obstacles and achieve the Goals by 2015. The Republic of San Marino expresses its satisfaction with the General Assembly’s High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals, which recently concluded. The outcome document of that meeting (resolution 65/1) aims at developing effective strategies for action and, most of all, at renewing the commitment and responsibility of each country to achieving the Goals set. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the strong commitment of the Republic of San Marino in favour of the implementation of the ideals of the United Nations and of the principles enshrined in its Charter. We will guarantee our support to all initiatives necessary to reach such an aim.

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the Republic of San Marino for the statement she has just made.

I have great pleasure in welcoming His Excellency Mr. Abbas El Fassi, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco, and inviting him to address the General Assembly.

His Majesty Mohammed VI, the King of Morocco, has honoured me by asking me to deliver his statement to the General Assembly. “Allow me, at the outset, to congratulate you, Mr. President, on being elected to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session, and to commend your predecessor, Mr. Ali Treki, on having given fresh dynamism to the proceedings of the Assembly. I would also like to express my deep appreciation to His Excellency the Secretary-General, who spares no effort to enhance the role of the United Nations. “This session, which is being held 10 years after the Millennium Summit, is a great opportunity for us to agree on a consensual vision to steer our joint action for the years to come and to reiterate our commitment to the three basic axes underlying that vision, namely, security and stability, development and prosperity, and advancement of human rights and human dignity. Those priorities form the bedrock of the new international agenda. This important meeting therefore provides us a good opportunity to reassert our commitment to tackling those priorities and to reiterate our determination to promote international cooperation and lay solid groundwork for a new world where safety and solidarity prevail. “Morocco, which firmly believes in the important position of the United Nations as the symbol of universal values and international legitimacy, has worked tirelessly to give the Organization active and concrete support, to promote its principles and to contribute to the achievement of its objectives. Indeed, my country has also actively sought to ensure that its national priorities are in line with issues on the international agenda. “Peacekeeping was the main objective behind the creation of the United Nations, which is playing a key role for all mankind. From this rostrum, the Kingdom of Morocco calls on the international community to increase its involvement and work for the settlement of all disputes — whether overt or covert — that strain relations between neighbouring States and hamper the indispensable integration of their economies, particularly in Africa. “To foster healthier relations in our Maghreb region, we submitted an autonomy initiative to the United Nations in 2007 with a view to bringing an end to the artificial dispute over the recovery by Morocco of its southern provinces. That bold, innovative initiative has received the support of the international community and the Security Council, which have repeatedly described the efforts underlying it as serious and credible. They have also commended Morocco’s active steps to facilitate the settlement of this dispute, which seriously jeopardizes the integration of the Arab Maghreb and the prosperity of the peoples of its five countries. “In that context, the Kingdom of Morocco calls on the other partners to seize this historic opportunity and engage in substantive and serious negotiations under the auspices of the Secretary- General and his Personal Envoy, to whom we reiterate our sincere willingness to cooperate. “The need to free our region from the yoke of this dispute, which hampers our joint action, has never been greater, not only for us, but also for our strategic partners. We must therefore settle this dispute, given the numerous pressing challenges facing us, especially with respect to security in the Sahara and Sahel regions and in the Mediterranean basin. “Achieving peace in the Middle East is not an impossible goal, nor is the persistence of the conflict inevitable. The only solution to the conflict remains that of two States, living side by side in peace and security. “The international community is therefore called upon to support the direct negotiation process taking place under the commendable auspices of the United States Administration. This is a good opportunity to strive to achieve a final settlement, in compliance with international legitimacy and the relevant United Nations resolutions and on the basis of a clear frame of reference, a comprehensive agenda and a specific timetable. “As an active player in the peace process, Morocco is aware that such negotiations must address the issue of establishing a fully sovereign Palestinian State, with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital, as well as the related and complex issues, and that for negotiations to succeed, unilateral actions must be avoided and settlement building must end, especially in Al-Quds Al-Sharif. “As Chair of the Al-Quds Committee, I have consistently drawn the attention of the United Nations and of the international community to the sensitive nature of the issue of Al-Quds Al-Sharif and to attempts to Judaize that Holy City and obliterate its character. Al-Quds must remain a symbol of coexistence and concord between the monotheistic religions, a city of peace and of coexistence between the Palestinian and the Israeli peoples. “Two days ago, we took stock of the progress that has thus far been made in achieving the Millennium Development Goals. We agreed that a combination of crises, including the adverse effects of climate change, has clearly delayed the attainment of most of these Goals in many developing countries, particularly on our African continent. “With a population of more than 900 million people and natural resources abundant enough to ensure the continent’s self-sufficiency, Africa is indeed capable of enjoying steady growth and development. This potential notwithstanding, Africa largely remains on the sidelines when it comes to foreign direct investment flows, a trend which has been compounded further by the global economic and financial crisis. The Kingdom of Morocco therefore proposes that the General Assembly hold a high-level dialogue on investment in Africa. “Similarly, the magnitude of the challenges posed by globalization requires from the international community urgent, substantial reforms of the existing international economic governance institutions as well as further mobilization to lay the foundations for a new, equitable, balanced and efficient international environmental order that will enable us to safeguard our planet for the sake of current and future generations. “The Kingdom of Morocco has committed itself irreversibly to protect and promote human rights. To this end, it will implement a comprehensive strategy based on a participatory approach which places special emphasis on human resources development and the promise of a dignified life, these being the key elements in our endeavour to build a democratic society dedicated to development. “Accordingly, Morocco has launched a programme of major workshops and reforms. Substantial progress has been made towards expanding the scope of individual and collective freedoms, safeguarding human dignity and promoting and protecting the rights of its citizens, especially those of women, children and people with special needs. “Internationally, Morocco has manifested a deep commitment to protecting human rights since the establishment of the Human Rights Council and its operational mechanisms. This commitment was recognized in March 2010, when Morocco was chosen by the General Assembly to be a co-facilitator of the review process aimed at charting a renewed vision for the Council by putting human capital at the heart of human resources development and sustainable development. “Morocco will spare no effort to achieve this goal and to help develop a shared, responsible vision of the true values of human rights, a vision which excludes empty slogans and the tendentious manipulation of lofty objectives. “The world still has a long way to go before States and peoples learn to accept diversity and make it a genuine source of spiritual, social and cultural enrichment. More than a necessity, dialogue among civilizations has become an urgent priority. “Indeed, it is of the utmost importance that the United Nations become the standard-bearer of a culture of peace, tolerance and mutual understanding and that it serve as a catalyst for a new form of cooperation based on solidarity and dedicated to achieving dignity, prosperity, well- being and peace for all people everywhere.”

On behalf of the General Assembly, I wish to thank the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco for the statement he has just made. Mr. Abbas El Fassi, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Morocco, was escorted from the rostrum.

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Sam Condor, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, National Security, Labour, Immigration and Social Security of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has looked forward to this sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly with much anticipation. We welcome the opportunity to share in the usual rich general debate, to strengthen existing relationships and to build new ones. This environment, we believe, facilitates the exchange of views on issues of common interest. We look forward, particularly, to the views on the work still ahead in tackling the insidious global challenges. The tasks I have in mind are: mitigating the negative impact of the ongoing economic crisis on our countries and peoples, and dealing with its many implications for vulnerable small economies like ours; tackling the prolonged tightening of credit markets; protecting the environment from degradation; promoting human security; and redressing the global epidemic of interpersonal violence. These are but a few of the problems with which Governments across the globe must grapple. And we must do this against a backdrop of uncertainty, while established centres of power are shifting. Governments must now reconcile the pursuit of statecraft and national interests with rapidly changing and less predictable relations among States. Additionally, the 2008 economic and financial crises, whose effects are still very real today, have undermined confidence in our financial market systems and in what we had hitherto hailed as sound economic models. Similarly, since the global recession, poverty ranks across the world have been swelling. The percentage of working poor has reached unprecedented levels, and millions more, now unemployed, see little prospect for hope or relief. As a consequence, many have lost faith in governance methods and in our long- established financial systems. We have all become painfully aware that environmental degradation is not country-specific and that the actions of individuals and enterprises in one country ultimately harm ecosystems and threaten livelihoods in others. Hence, as countries pursue national agendas, we need to be mindful of the common interests and ties that connect our societies and peoples, and we must use every opportunity to work towards a realistic convergence of our respective interests. There can be little doubt that we have established a solid foundation that allows us to envision new and exciting horizons. Reaching these horizons, however, requires that, as we contemplate bold initiatives appropriate for the challenges confronting us, the United Nations must itself be prepared to further deepen its engagement with Member States, regional and national systems, and international financial institutions. My delegation believes that this is one way to help provide new opportunities, to facilitate greater access to the resources needed to implement national policies and meet international obligations. The United Nations, created out of the ruins of war, has over the past six and a half decades, been providentially guided by an unfaltering spirit of partnership and prevailing common sense. Despite countless challenges, that spirit is alive and well today. We must therefore work even harder to fulfil the dream of its architects and to live out their vision. The United Nations, then, must remain that vital nexus, fostering the necessary partnerships for the greater good. Perhaps that would provide us with a more visible presence on the global stage, furthering the effort to build a better future for us all. We have seen this partnership in action on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We saw it as we worked to address the global financial crisis, which threatened large economies and almost crippled the economies of small island States. We saw it when Governments and peoples across the globe came to the assistance of our brothers and sisters in disaster-stricken Haiti, the magnitude of whose tragedy we had not experienced before in this hemisphere. In the context of repositioning the United Nations, we began, earlier this month, a process of review. It is through improved partnerships that the United Nations has an opportunity to bring international business communities and civil society together with Member States in a more structured way, allowing for the practical exchange of ideas, the sharing of expertise and best practices, and the promotion of development and prosperity. Saint Kitts and Nevis welcomes such a dialogue and partnership and recognizes the extent and reach of the United Nations in helping to build capacity, in the face of challenges such as the brain drain, which robs developing countries of their invaluable human resources. Through such advocacy, the United Nations can help also to safeguard gains in social and economic development. Saint Kitts and Nevis encourages Member States to embrace this idea of a multipronged partnership as a way to bolster development processes and strengthen global governance and accountability. Cognizant of the spirit of cooperation, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis thanks the Government and people of Taiwan for their continued outstanding support, international cooperation and development assistance over several decades. I welcome the recent passage in that country’s Parliament of their international cooperation and development law, which incorporates the essence and principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the United Nations MDGs. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their efforts and for sharing their development experience through public projects and social, agricultural and private sector development. We note that, despite being successful before the World Trade Organization dispute settlement body, Antigua and Barbuda, a fellow CARICOM member State, has yet to benefit therefrom. In the spirit of cooperation, we urge the parties involved to seek quickly to resolve the situation and to arrive at a negotiation settlement that is fair and just to Antigua and Barbuda and its nationals. 2010 has so far been a year of epic global natural disasters. The regularity and ferocity of floods, hurricanes, typhoons, sea-level rises and other catastrophic events are stark reminders of the consequences of climate change. This is of particular concern to us, as small island developing States are hardest hit by the consequences of climate change. In the light of the facts, it should be a matter of some importance to develop a proactive coordinated approach, in collaboration with financial institutions, insurance companies and other catastrophic-event- mitigation stakeholders. It is clear that the disaster preparedness, mitigation and response paradigms incorporated into our national development strategies are in need of urgent strengthening. Indeed, my country is committed to a comprehensive approach in disaster- risk abatement and mitigation, through capacity- building and through the creation of internal mechanisms that would ensure more effective responses. I urge Member States to continue exploiting and exploring technology and best practices, as we work in partnership to find sustainable solutions to this problem. We believe that stronger political commitment, greater cooperation and less apportioning of blame are required if we are to succeed in this endeavour. Therefore we hope that the global partnership and solidarity evidenced in the aftermath of this year’s many disasters will continue to prevail. Four months ago, in May 2010, the General Assembly adopted resolution 64/265 on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. That resolution seeks to halt the growing trend of premature deaths from these diseases — mainly, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancers and chronic respiratory diseases. Saint Kitts and Nevis applauds that resolution. At the same time, however, we seize the opportunity to remind this Assembly of another public health and public security issue that begs attention and resolution. Many will recall our efforts last year to focus attention on the issue of the global epidemic of interpersonal violence and its implications for development, health, security and governance. The data reveal that interpersonal violence accounts for about 4,300 deaths per day, one every 20 seconds, one half of them being due to homicide. In some countries homicide rates are as high as 60 to 70 per 100,000. The human, social and financial costs of violence are unacceptably high and are escalating. The World Health Organization has been playing a key role in this field through its Milestones of a Global Campaign for Violence Prevention programme, and the General Assembly has adopted individual resolutions on violence against children, violence against women and armed violence. There is still, however, no General Assembly resolution that calls for an integrated approach to all forms of interpersonal violence; there is no resolution that speaks to youth violence, one of the major contributors to high murder rates and social breakdown; and there is no resolution that emphasizes the necessity of a multisectoral response to this problem. Saint Kitts and Nevis is therefore once again soliciting your support for such a resolution. We are calling for an integrated and multisectoral response to all forms of interpersonal violence and recognition of the causes, with a view to its placement on the General Assembly agenda for debate next year, 2011. As we celebrate the International Year of Youth, I can think of no better time to introduce such a resolution. Saint Kitts and Nevis guards zealously the effective management and care of our resources. Our primary resource is our people, particularly our youth — our future. In preparing them for the promises and the potential perils of tomorrow, we have been investing strategically in education — education with relevance. I applaud the establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The occupying of high office and decision-making roles by women has been the norm in Saint Kitts and Nevis, and we remain committed to gender-equal opportunities at home and abroad. We look forward to participating actively in UN Women in the coming years and would be most pleased to share our experiences. As we move forward through this sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly, I encourage us to remain committed to the ideals that have brought us to this point. Let us marshal the courage to do the things that ought to be done if this indispensable global institution is to be able to deliver at its very best. In conclusion, permit me to congratulate you, Mr. President, and the Government of Switzerland, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session. I thank you, Sir, for your readiness to preside over this General Assembly at a time of great challenge. We feel confident that you will rise to the occasion with great fortitude and determination. Permit me also to thank Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki, President of the General Assembly at its sixty- fourth session, for his leadership and commitment during the past year. I trust that under your leadership, Mr. President, we will seize the moment for change — this compelling moment for reform and one that is reflected in the deliberations of the recent Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals — as we draw closer to the 2015 target. I assure you, Sir, of my Government’s full support for your stewardship.

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Bernard Kouchner, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the French Republic.

I come to this rostrum on behalf of France to express my sincere and fervent faith in the United Nations. France’s ambition is to be a major actor in building a system of global governance that is more just, more cohesive, more social, and a global order that is organized and regulated around a stronger, more representative and more effective United Nations — a United Nations capable of meeting the great challenges of our century. I look out upon the Assembly. I know many of those present here today. For 25 years now — even more — I have been going up and down the corridors of the United Nations because I like the United Nations, because I believe in the United Nations, and because I know it to be indispensable. I would like to speak to the Assembly candidly. I am going to talk about men and women, suffering and hope. I am going to talk about responsibility, because we have responsibilities as citizens, diplomats and political leaders to meet these sufferings, hopes and expectations. Of course, all of us would have an infinite number of reasons to present a litany of generous intentions, only to go home, our conscience clear, for what we had said a little while before to the Assembly and then go back to our day-to-day problems at home. Of course, after the terrible economic crisis from which we have barely emerged, we have to live with reduced budgets and tense socio-economic situations. The times are difficult and our fellow citizens are worried. The temptation to retreat exists. Of course, to correct the large imbalances and injustices that undermine our society and to fight for the planet’s security and development, we can always count on others. But which others? There are no “others”. We are all here, the nations of the world, represented in the General Assembly, and we only have to decide together to act. Not acting today would be to resign ourselves to disorder, injustice and chaos. That choice will never be France’s because it is not in keeping with our history, or our values, or our interests. Faced with disorder in the world, the greatest risk today would be to lapse into routine. Please do not tell me that we cannot move forward, that the situation is at an impasse. No, in the past, we have been able together, collectively, to be revolutionary on fundamental subjects, even at the expense of the national sovereignties which we all represent here. Recall our boldness here in 1988, General Assembly resolution 43/131, and then two years later, resolution 45/100, on humanitarian assistance to victims of natural disasters and similar emergency situations. These resolutions allowed us for the first time to guarantee free access of humanitarian workers to the affected regions. Then there was Security Council 688 (1991) (5 April 1991) on the situation in Kurdistan, where, for the first time, the door was opened to a military operation to protect civilian populations against an oppressor State. These were two historic moments which laid the first markers of the right to intervene. This became the responsibility to protect, which this Assembly adopted by consensus at the 2005 World Summit (see resolution 60/1). Who could have imagined that such an upending of international law would be possible? The fight was long and difficult; it is not over — far from it. To speak candidly to the Assembly, the results are not completely what I had expected. But we must note that, together, we were able to overcome some obstacles which were supposed to be insurmountable. Let nothing stop us from taking up subjects which we decide on together. Our first shared responsibility is development — to make sure that all men and women, including the most impoverished, have decent living conditions. The widening gap of inequalities is not only morally unacceptable, it is politically dangerous. Of course, it is costly to act, but the cost of inaction is even greater. The conclusions of the High-level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that we just held place our responsibilities squarely before us. This is an urgent matter. We can no longer ask suffering populations to continue to wait. The President of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, reminded the Assembly of this fact, that France is the second largest global donor of official development assistance — €9 billion per annum — targeted to education, health, food security, sanitation and infrastructure. France’s commitment to development will not slacken, but figures do not make a policy. Our assistance must be judged according to its results. We need to go further and move faster for children dying of malaria — one every 30 seconds — for entire families stricken by AIDS, and for all those who are hungry or cannot go to school. I ask the Assembly: what planet do we wish to leave as a legacy to our children? Will we be able to make an ambitious decision to combat climate change and preserve our environment? This is a subject that concerns us all and requires a global partnership, one where we aspire to find an agreement on both reducing emissions and measures to be taken in order to adapt. And we must, first and foremost, ensure that the commitments undertaken will be implemented and that follow-up mechanisms and effective institutions will be put in place. For all of this, we must find a great deal of money — several tens of billions of dollars per year — for us and our planet. Let us provide the means to realize our ambitions. The solutions are here, within reach; they have proved to be effective and await only our political will and our courage. They are called innovative financing. The tax on airline tickets was a step forward, a long time in coming. Today we should go farther by adopting an international tax on financial transactions which would permanently change matters for development. It is an idea that I have been defending for more than 20 years. It is a priority for France now. The President alluded to it here a few days ago. Bear in mind that a minute tax of 0.005 per cent, that is five cents on a transaction of €1,000, could raise €30 billion to €40 billion per year, almost one quarter of official development assistance. Who could deny that this is a stable and predictable way of raising a massive amount for development? Even with half of that amount, it would be possible to send every child to school in the low-income countries. Everyone agrees today that it is technically and economically feasible to establish such a mechanism. And, make no mistake; we are not talking about diminishing official development assistance or dodging our responsibilities. No, on the contrary, this amount would come as an addition. And so we must not waste time, we are together, this is what we established this institution for, this institution, unparalleled in history, called the United Nations. It is now a universally recognized principle that development cannot occur without peace and security, which are the basic raison d’être of the United Nations. Here, the challenges remain considerable. Afghanistan, Somalia, the Sudan, the Middle East — so many conflicts continue to feed chaos throughout the world. How many missed opportunities, how many dashed hopes, how many misunderstandings have for more than 60 years — I repeat, 60 years — marked this process, peaceful in name only, in the Middle East? The Arab-Israeli conflict concerns us all. I say Arab- Israeli because, besides the Palestinian track, France considers it just as important to work on the Lebanese and Syrian tracks. Today we have before us a historic opportunity. We cannot let it slip. The process almost stopped yesterday evening. I am not sure that it will continue in an orderly way and with unanimous support. I hope it will. We have limited time remaining. Palestine, the new State Member of the United Nations which many of us have been calling for, will be, I hope, the best guarantee of security for Israel. All States in the region have a critical role to play. All of that is important, but what is necessary is that the Israelis and Palestinians make a strategic decision to put an end to this conflict in their own interests. I would therefore call on the sense of responsibility of President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu; together they must make the painful compromises on the road to peace. I have said that I have faith in the United Nations. I served the United Nations, as perhaps you know, in Kosovo and in a number of other places. I know, respect and deeply love the men and women who give life to the United Nations. From this rostrum, I wish to pay tribute with emotion, affection and respect, to all those who, in serving the United Nations, take risks every day for our shared ideal of peace and development. I think of all the friends we have lost — and the friends we may still lose — year after year, and, of course, of those who take their place. The fight is noble. Respect for the values and universal principles of human rights constitutes the indispensable foundation on which United Nations action must be built. The ambition to build a world order founded on universal respect for human dignity has been and will always be at the heart of French diplomacy. Have we collectively progressed in our service of these values? Not enough. How long will we continue to accept — now that we live in a so-called information society, a world where people can know what is happening in other places — that, in terms of human rights, there are so many blind spots, so many forgotten tragedies and so much suffering that remain hidden? As I asked at the beginning, what has become of the responsibility to protect? Today the success of the United Nations must first of all be assessed in terms of its contribution to the protection of civilians. That is the first area in which our requirements should be upheld. Every day massacres and rapes are committed throughout the world, in Somalia, in Darfur and in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in regions where peacekeeping operations are deployed. We can no longer simply count the victims when mass crimes are committed. Our courage must not be less than that of those who die from risks that we no longer know how to take. France believes that the International Criminal Court is one of the most important advances made in the history of a humankind conscious of the dangers to which it is exposed by its own demons. France understands the criticism of those that believe that the Court is too slow or that it goes too far. Let us be clear, France will always support the idea of international criminal justice that is impartial and universal, for it is the only way of fulfilling the imperative dictated by our history, namely, combating impunity. To all who are shocked by the boldness of some of the Court’s prosecutions, I say that, on the contrary, it would be appalling if the victims were deprived of their right to justice. Human rights, the protection of civilians, international justice — these are not hollow concepts or empty principles for us. For France, they are first and foremost principles of action, and the only valid criterion for judgement is the impact of our actions on the actual situation. In Guinea, after the killings in the Conakry stadium, on 28 September 2009, we came together to denounce the human rights violations and to assist the victims of the atrocities committed. The Secretary- General dispatched an International Commission of Inquiry to the field one month after the fact, and I would like to once again thank him sincerely for that. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court instituted proceedings. That pressure enabled Guinean civil society in the field to make the difference. Today the junta has been replaced by a transitional executive. Nothing has been won. There will be a second round of elections in two weeks. But I wanted to recall this success of the United Nations since at the beginning I said that the responsibility to protect was threatened. I think we can all agree that there is a movement forming in civil society throughout the world and that we can still take action.

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Mourad Medelci, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Democratic Republic of Algeria.

First of all, I would like to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of this session of the General Assembly. Your character, distinguished career and knowledge of current international affairs will surely contribute to the management and success of our work. I would like to convey Algeria’s full support for your efforts in the course of your term of office. I also pay tribute to your predecessor, my brother Ali Abdussalam Treki, for his efforts and commitment to the principles of multilateralism and respect for the founding values of the Charter. Additionally, I wish to express our satisfaction and gratitude to Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon for the breadth and quality of the efforts which he has tirelessly exerted to add to the role of the Organization in our joint quest to achieve and strengthen its ideals. Despite the recent emergence of some encouraging signs of economic recovery, the world continues to suffer from the aftermath of the financial and economic crisis. The steps taken thus far to address its most devastating effects and to relaunch the global economic engine lead us to believe even more firmly that the best way to prevent worse crises from occurring is to rethink global financial and economic governance in a rational manner that leaves no room for speculation and the vagaries of the market and that serves as a fair model for developing countries. The main trends in the world since the last session have led us to examine the depth of the economic crisis in the poorest countries, especially in Africa. Crises such as this hamper progress in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), notably in the areas of maternal and child health and in combating poverty. It is important that the international community respect its commitments in the area of official development assistance and provide recipient countries with additional assistance so that they can achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Several options could be explored in that regard, some of which seem very promising to us. They include debt moratoriums for developing countries that have difficulty in paying their debts and easier access to the markets of developed countries. The fact that a high-level meeting on biodiversity will take place in a few weeks’ time in Nagoya, Japan, provides us with a valuable opportunity to launch an urgent appeal requesting the international community to mobilize to preserve the biological resources of our planet, which are being threatened by unbridled economic development that does not take future generations into account. In that context, I would like to stress the need to strengthen the role of the United Nations in protecting biodiversity in developing countries and in promoting North-South cooperation that is mutually beneficial. The issue of climate change presents another considerable challenge for the international community, given the manifold threats it poses to ecosystems and economies. The limited and modest results achieved in Copenhagen should serve to encourage all States to redouble their efforts to make progress at the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties, to be held in Cancún, towards establishing a legally binding agreement based on the Kyoto Protocol’s Framework Convention. No doubt due to climate change, the extreme gravity of the natural phenomena that have lately plunged Pakistan, Russia, China, India and other countries into disaster means that we need to restructure international mechanisms to respond to natural disasters of this kind. On the basis of humanism and solidarity, Algeria launches an appeal for a joint international reflection on the best way to achieve genuine comprehensive natural disaster management. Countries that do not possess nuclear weapons, such as Algeria, have the right to ask nuclear States to truly embrace nuclear disarmament. The results of the 2010 eighth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons constitute a positive step in that regard, thanks in particular to the launching of a process that should give rise to a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. In order to rise to the multiple challenges confronting international peace and security, the Conference on Disarmament should make the most of the favourable international circumstances and the positive momentum generated by the results of the 2010 Review Conference to restart its work and comply with its mandate. To that end, Algeria continues to be committed to the effective relaunching of the work of the Conference on Disarmament. Algeria believes that the goals and contents of the programme adopted in 2009 continue to be valid today and could be the basis for the work of future sessions. The issue of peace and security is also linked to the exacerbation of terrorism and its links with transnational organized crime, the taking of hostages and trafficking in arms, drugs and human beings. My country welcomes the adoption of resolution 1904 (2009), on criminalizing the payment of ransoms to armed groups based on the principle that this condemnable practice is a significant source of financing for terrorism. Nevertheless, the international community must still make considerable efforts to eradicate this transnational threat, not just in the context of comprehensive and systematic implementation but also in the light of the increase in hostage-taking by terrorists and the payment of ransoms to them. This is an issue that must be addressed with determination, strength and responsibility. Algeria calls on the international community to act to prevent the criminal use of international satellite images via the Internet. We believe that the comprehensive treaty to combat terrorism, which Algeria fully supports, will be a main factor in checking piracy, once it has been adopted. With regard to respect for the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, Algeria fully participates in regional integration attempts as a crucial element in combating international terrorism. Algeria has launched several recent initiatives, including an initiative to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation among States in our region in order to bolster peace, security and development. It is committed to pursuing common efforts to build the Arab Maghreb union and endow it with dynamic institutions to ensure that the project comes into being as the ideal framework for economic cooperation and complementarity in the region. It has also launched Maghreb-wide economic and social programmes and development projects to encourage regional integration. The Palestinian people, who continue to aspire to build a viable State, are still held hostage by the indecision of certain parties. That is being aggravated by policies of aggression and unjust siege. We reiterate our call to the international community to show resolve and unity with regard to this conflict by bringing pressure to bear on the occupation forces. We believe that a definitive, comprehensive and just solution requires the implementation of the Arab Peace Initiative. In that context, on behalf of the Algerian people and Government, I should like to express our friendship and support to our Palestinian brothers. Algeria would like to see an immediate halt to settlements, the return of Palestinian refugees, the return of East Jerusalem to the Palestinians as the capital of a Palestinian State and a return to the borders of 4 June 1967. The other occupied Arab territories in Lebanon and the Golan should also be returned. As we mark the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of resolution 1514 (XV), which enshrined the principle of freeing oppressed people from the yoke of colonialism, we unfortunately continue to see that there still exist Non-Self-Governing Territories whose populations continue to aspire to self-determination. To that end, and in keeping with our duties and responsibilities, Algeria is willing to extend its full support to the efforts of the United Nations and of Special Envoy of the Secretary-General Christopher Ross in order to resolve the Western Sahara conflict. We express our adherence to the human rights dimension of the issue and the need for it to be taken into account by the Human Rights Council and other international mechanisms in that area, in line with the relevant provisions of the United Nations Charter, so as to reach a just political solution that allows the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right to self- determination through a referendum. I reiterate my country’s belief, in line with the view of the African Union Summit held in Kampala, that there cannot be an international justice system that operates at two different speeds and focuses on a single region of the world, for this issue poses a threat to regional peace and security. Algeria also rejects the imposition of extraterritorial laws and rules and all forms of coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions against developing countries. In that regard, Algeria reiterates the need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo that has been imposed against the Cuban Government and people for more than half a century. The African Union has proclaimed 2010 the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, as an expression of the will of its member States to make every peaceful effort to resolve all ongoing and new conflicts and crises on our continent. We encourage the African Union to integrate economically and politically so that it can become a partner to reckon with in international affairs.

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Ruslan Kazakbaev, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic.

I would first like to congratulate you, President Deiss, on your election to the presidency of the General Assembly at it sixty-fifth session. I wish you every success. For Kyrgyzstan, 2010 has been a year of profound changes and serious challenges to our continued existence, unity and statehood. In April, having overthrown the authoritarian system of State governance, with its flagrant corruption and illegality, the Kyrgyz people resolutely chose a path to renewal and genuine democratic development. Nevertheless, in May and June, the world witnessed acutely destabilizing situations in the south of Kyrgyzstan, where radical forces of the former Government and criminal and extremist groups sought revenge. Accordingly, they provoked bloody clashes between Kyrgyz and Uzbek communities, who have lived and worked in peace side by side for centuries. Those extremist forces insidiously played the ethnic card by knowingly exploiting the precariousness of such socio-economic problems as poverty, high unemployment — especially among youth — corruption and unequal access to economic and financial resources, which were ignored by the former Government. Mr. Ndong Mba (Equatorial Guinea), Vice- President, took the Chair. In that difficult period, the interim Government succeeded in consolidating all positive and patriotic forces among the people. With the assistance of the international community, the interim Government was able to stabilize the situation and thereby prevent a return to the past. On 27 June, a new Constitution was adopted by national referendum that provided the basis for parliamentary Government in the country. Today, we can in good conscience declare that all the necessary political, economic and organizational conditions have been established for the holding of transparent parliamentary elections in Kyrgyzstan on 10 October 2010. Kyrgyzstan has a unique opportunity to build a truly democratic parliamentary State based on the rule of law and human rights. I am confident that the people of Kyrgyzstan will show wisdom and a high level of political involvement and not miss this chance. In order to move successfully along the path of democratic development and prevent future political and socio-economic disturbances, we intend to thoroughly analyse the origins and reasons behind the apparent conflicts that took place in our country in the past year, and more specifically over the past six months. At present a State commission to investigate the reasons for the conflict is at work. The commission consists of prominent political activists, scientists and experts, of Kyrgyz, Uzbek and other nationalities that make up multinational Kyrgyzstan. An international independent commission has also begun its work, supported by the United Nations, the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and Nordic countries. We should identify the organizers of the bloody clashes, seek what lessons can be learned, try to comprehend and eradicate the causes of friction and seek ways to reach inter-ethnic accord in the society. But most important, the realization of the tragic and futile nature of the results of extremist actions must become established in the minds of the peoples of the various ethnic communities living in Kyrgyzstan. An unshakable commitment to national unity and nationhood must become the cohesive element and uniting force in the country. We are expanding the various forms of cooperation with regional international organizations in order to further stabilize the situation in Kyrgyzstan. Thus, with a view to rendering assistance to law enforcement staff and restoring confidence between people and local administrations, the negotiations on engaging the OSCE police advisory group are concluding. In line with agreements reached, the partner countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization render procurement and advisory assistance. The Kyrgyz Republic highly appreciates the position and actions of the leadership of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and of President Islam Karimov personally, in stabilizing the situation in the south of our country, especially in the first days of the unrest. We are also grateful for the support and invaluable assistance rendered by the Government of that brotherly country to citizens of Kyrgyzstan displaced into Uzbekistan, and for facilitating their return. We are sincerely grateful to all those who responded to the call for help and assistance in the framework of the flash appeal for Kyrgyzstan launched by the United Nations, and also for comprehensive support provided on a bilateral basis. The immediate humanitarian assistance from friendly countries, international organizations and agencies and United Nations institutions has been vital in stabilizing the crisis situation and overcoming the destructive consequences of a humanitarian catastrophe. As of today we have received 40 per cent of the required help within the framework of the appeal. It is obviously not sufficient, given the urgent need of the population on the streets of the affected cities and settlements. People still need housing, the wounded need medical care, and schools and social service buildings need to be rebuilt. At present our Government is focusing its basic efforts on post-conflict reconstruction of the country’s social and economic infrastructure, especially in the southern regions. Therefore, timely and practical implementation of commitments made at the donor conference on Kyrgyzstan held in Bishkek this July is extremely important. Kyrgyzstan supports the position of Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, stated on 23 September at the Security Council Summit (see S/PV.6389), on strengthening the role of the United Nations in responding to humanitarian catastrophes and resolving crisis situations. The establishment of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia was an important and necessary step on the part of the United Nations. We consider it essential to expand and strengthen its operations, which will allow it to implement a package of preventive measures and to activate mediation services. We also welcome the launch of a counter-terrorism strategy for the Central Asian region and are ready to strengthen cooperation aimed at adoption of a joint action plan by 2011. The Security Council summit prompts us to consider more seriously the problem of terrorism. The events of June of this year in the Kyrgyz Republic — when various terrorists groups attempted to enter the territory of Kyrgyzstan by mountain paths from neighbouring countries — testify to the presence of real threats of terrorism to the peace and security of the States bordering Afghanistan. Terrorist groups joining forces with drug barons and other criminal elements is a great concern. Such combustible hybrids should be eliminated by the most drastic measures. Therefore, the Kyrgyz State drug control agency, which was liquidated a year ago, has recently been restored. As we intensify our efforts in the fight against illegal drug trafficking, we are extremely interested in furthering a strategic programme for the countries of Central Asia to oppose illegal drug trafficking and fighting international crime. We must further strengthen the activity of the Central Asian Regional Information and Coordination Centre in fighting illegal trafficking of psychotropic substances and their precursors under the aegis of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The action plan of the European Union and the Central Asian countries for 2009-2013 should become an important part of international efforts to fight illegal drug trafficking, along with coordinated actions within the framework of the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. We continually call upon the United Nations to improve coordination of the fights against drug trafficking and transnational organized crime. In Afghanistan, the fragile process of peacekeeping and reconciliation and the development of the institutional structures are points of special concern. The recent parliamentary elections in that country inspire some optimism about strengthening civil society and creating a parliament of national unity. The construction of a stable economy and effective support of Afghanistan’s State institutions will serve as the basis for a durable peace in that country and will reduce the threat to security in the Central Asian region. Kyrgyzstan supports international programmes for Afghanistan’s economic reconstruction and is ready to contribute material and personnel and to work closely with the anti-terrorist coalition. The Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference last May demonstrated the possibility of achieving an understanding in the critical sphere of nuclear disarmament. My country is also contributing to that effort. Kyrgyzstan has been designated as the depositary of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. Thus it promotes regional security while broadening collaboration with other nuclear-weapon-free zones. The ecological dimension is a special feature of the Treaty on a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone in Central Asia. That is because there remains a large quantity of uranium tailings in Kyrgyzstan, which poses a serious risk to human life and to the environment in general. On this matter, we are grateful to the United Nations Development Programme for its increased attention to those zones of high ecological risk and for conducting an international meeting in 2009. We would like to call delegates’ attention to item 97 (i) on the Assembly’s agenda for this session, entitled “Establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Central Asia”, and we ask them to support it. United Nations peacekeeping operations are a key tool in preserving and maintaining peace on our planet. Kyrgyzstan is the only country in the region that is contributing more than 30 peacekeepers to United Nations missions in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, and it is ready to increase its participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The delegation of Kyrgyzstan has repeatedly come out in favour of fully optimizing the management of peacekeeping operations. It supports the comprehensive strategy for field support and its reform, as documented in “A New Partnership Agenda: Charting a New Horizon for UN Peacekeeping”. We are convinced of the vital importance of involving such authoritative regional organizations as the European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Collective Security Treaty Organization in peacekeeping activities and post- conflict reconstruction. Kyrgyzstan is devoted to the purposes and tasks of strengthening international peace and security, and, as a candidate for non-permanent membership on the Security Council, is ready to contribute to the cause of peace, especially by participating in the work of the Council and its committees. We wish to focus the Assembly’s attention on the issues of environmental safety and hydropower. Recent studies have confirmed the loss of more than 20 per cent of Kyrgyzstan’s glaciers and snowfields, which requires urgent efforts to preserve our river headwaters and restore our forests. Kyrgyzstan is interested in the rational exploitation of its resources, an attractive investment climate, preserving ecological security and developing alternative energy sources. We need to launch regional projects within the framework of the Central Asia/South Asia Regional Electricity Market, starting with the construction of a Kyrgyzstan- Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan electric power line. We pledge our full support to developing concrete measures at the forthcoming sixteenth Climate Change Conference in Cancún in November. Among the practical steps to be taken in this area, I will mention that the forthcoming International Conference of Mountain Countries, on climate change, to be held in Kathmandu, will be making broad proposals for the Cancún meeting. Kyrgyzstan is studying significant projects on sustainable development and supports Mr. László Borbély in his work for the nineteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development. Our imperative is achieving the agenda of the twenty-first century and making the Johannesburg Plan of Action a reality. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the activity of the United Nations must respond fully to the expectations of people throughout the planet and that we, countries both small and large, must not forget the responsibility we bear for our actions. I also wish for all the wisdom and courage that will help us in achieving the enduring purposes and values of our Organization in building a better peace.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Shaikh Khalid Bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain. Shaikh Al-Khalifa (Bahrain) (spoke in Arabic): First of all, it gives me pleasure to convey to the Assembly the greetings of His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and His Majesty’s best wishes for every success. I also congratulate Mr. Deiss on his election to the presidency of the General Assembly and thank His Excellency Ali Abdussalam Treki, President at the previous session, for his skilful management of its deliberations. I also commend Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon for his efforts and contributions to international issues. We all know that since its inception the United Nations has scored many successes in promoting collective international action. It has undertaken a great many initiatives and conceived many ideas beneficial to humanity, including the innovative Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Today, we view those Goals as the principal topic on which we all agree. As the representative of my country, I shall touch on the challenges facing humanity in various fields, whether they concern solutions to problems between nations or realization of peoples’ ambitions, highlighting some of the achievements that, taken together, can serve the common good. The most important challenge facing our world today is achieving the MDGs by 2015. We know that many States have made huge and outstanding efforts to that end. In this context, the Kingdom of Bahrain holds a leading and positive position, particularly in the field of social welfare, free, quality basic education, health care, improvement of child and maternal health, the empowerment of women, gender equality, the expansion of the social security net for the poorest of the population, our unemployment insurance scheme, and expansion of the scope of vocational training to enhance Bahrain’s human resources. I am honoured to stand before the Assembly as representative of a country actively pursuing its international responsibilities. When we refer to the notion of a modern State as the most important political, social, cultural and economic product of the modern history of the Kingdom of Bahrain, it is because whatever achievements have been realized can be attributed to good governance — governance that has encouraged and supported initiatives and political and organizational visions aimed at building the institutions and capacities that can enhance the principles of a modern, organized society. Such a society is faithful to its values in every area, based on State institutions that guarantee all talented citizens the opportunity to create and innovate and to be an active participant in our contemporary world. The Economic Vision 2030 for Bahrain, launched by His Majesty King Hamad bin Issa Al Khalifa on 23 October 2008, is an historic turning point and a gateway to economic reform, and a completion of political reform. It lays down a long-term vision of the future tracks of the national economy up to 2030. It aims to ensure the transformation of the current economy from one based on oil revenues into an internationally competitive and productive system, planned by the Government but led by a vibrant private sector. The outcome will be a growing Bahraini middle class enjoying a high standard of living, due to increased productivity and well-paid jobs. This Vision aims to establish a society based on the principles of sustainability, competitiveness and justice. The financial crisis that has affected the international economy since 2008 and the ensuing sovereign debt crisis in Europe, austerity measures, reform and restructuring of the banking system, increased State intervention in matters of banking and economy in various countries — all this has led to a prominent role for the Group of 20 (G-20) in responding to financial and economic crises, due to the fact that it represents some 90 per cent of the world economy. Consequently, the time has come for the G-20, and other blocs such as 3-G, to play a leading role in developing and enhancing a common action from within the United Nations and its various institutions and organs by setting up plans for collective action aimed at enhancing countries’ capacity to address future crises and to achieve an open and integrated economy. That is in line with the constructive thoughts of the President of the General Assembly in this regard. The settlement of conflicts and disputes between States, conflicts that we ourselves created, is a daily concern for all of us. Those conflicts are either of an ideological or ethnic nature, or are caused by people occupying the land of other peoples and evicting them from their homes and homelands. The conflicts divert our attention from more important concerns, including addressing poverty, ignorance, epidemics and natural disasters, which take a heavy toll and impede human creativity. Limited national interests of one State or another that completely avoid considering the common global good are largely responsible for this state of affairs. One of the most important among these issues is the Arab-Israeli conflict, which is located in our region. We have been at an impasse for decades, as failure has followed hopeful efforts and our optimism has been clouded by frustration because of the continued backtracking of the peace process. Yet we persevere and cherish the hope of achieving a just, permanent and comprehensive peace that will restore rights to legitimate owners and open doors for mutual acceptance of others as neighbours, friends and partners fully sharing the respect and commitment required. In this connection, we value the historic commitment and tireless efforts of President Barack Obama of the United States of America and his Administration to give a strong impetus to the peace process in the Middle East and to renew hope by relaunching direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel with a view to settling this chronic conflict. These precious efforts, however, require the continued support of all parties concerned and their unwavering commitment to take the necessary steps to achieve coexistence through enhanced communication and outreach. There should be an opportunity for each party to convince the other to coexist as a neighbour and a partner in the region, and not an ill-intentioned or treacherous enemy. Our commitment to the Arab Peace Initiative is one clear example. We are committed to that Initiative and all its provisions aimed at achieving a genuine peace. One of the basic tenets of our foreign policy is our determination to see security, stability and development prevail. In that respect we look forward to a safe and prosperous Iraq that is able to check any foreign intervention in its domestic affairs, an Iraq faithful to its Arab-Islamic identity and inclusive of all its ethnic and cultural affiliations. As regards the Islamic Republic of Iran, we are keenly interested in its stability and its people’s prosperity. We look forward to it playing a vital role in order to eliminate the ghost of discord around its nuclear programme. We welcome its commitment to a peaceful nuclear programme and stress the need for total transparency and full compliance with the requirements of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. On the other hand, with regard to the sisterly United Arab Emirates islands occupied by Iran, settlement of the question through direct negotiations or referral to the International Court of Justice would constitute a vital step and a foundation for regional cohesion and understanding that would generate the stability necessary for development, which would be in the interest of all the peoples of the region. As for Yemen, its stability is a pillar for the stability of the region as a whole. The Kingdom of Bahrain therefore reaffirms its full support to the Republic of Yemen in all its efforts to combat terrorism and protect its national security. Bahrain calls on the international community to provide support and assistance to that brotherly country, either through bilateral channels or through the group of Friends of Yemen. Regarding the situation in the Sudan, we welcome the agreement signed by the Government of the Sudan and the concerned Sudanese parties, and we commend the sisterly State of Qatar for its considerable efforts in that matter. We look forward to completion of the current negotiations on Darfur within the framework of the agreement signed to preserve the unity of brotherly Sudan. Resolving those disputes will enable us to address the real challenges to which we should devote our common attention: challenges of security and terrorism and challenges of devastating natural disasters, such as the tragic ordeals which affected the sisterly Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of Haiti — respectively, the unprecedented catastrophic floods and the devastating earthquake. We express our solidarity with those countries and hope they will overcome their adversity with assistance and support from the international community commensurate with the enormity of the disasters. Terrorism is a multifaceted global phenomenon that affects the entire world through criminal terrorist acts perpetrated against many countries. It exploits discourse to stir up violence and to divide countries and communities, thus contradicting its original mission of providing spiritual counsel and guidance. It utilizes mass media for the same purpose. The best way to combat terrorism is to monitor and expose its funding sources. That requires global consensus on a transparent international financial system to regulate the transfer of those funds. For the international community to address these serious challenges and threats, States must be in a position to play their role fully through strengthened concepts of political participation, democratic practices, human rights, rule of law, judicial and institutional reform, including freedom of opinion and expression, and involving society in sharing responsibilities. In concluding, I would like to state that restructuring international relations and forming more inclusive alliances requires a higher degree of respect for the opinions and values of others. That is consistent with our commitment to pursue the noble purposes and principles embodied in the Charter: peace, security, friendly relations and international cooperation among nations and peoples. My country reaffirms before the Assembly its resolve to play its role as an effective member of the international community and to actively participate and take initiatives in efforts for the good and prosperity of all.

I now call on His Excellency Mr. Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba.

Yesterday was exactly the fiftieth anniversary of the first speech of Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz in this Hall, with that memorable sentence that if the philosophy of plunder disappears, then the philosophy of war will have disappeared (see A/PV.872). Sixty million people had to die in the Second World War so that the leaders of the time could create the United Nations with the aim of saving succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Today, the children and grandchildren of that generation realize that the human race is faced with the threat of extinction. Within a few decades, the degradation of living conditions on the planet will be irreversible. The same could happen in a few hours if only a small part of the nuclear arsenal were to be used. Those who met in San Francisco to draft the Charter of the United Nations could not have imagined the threat now posed by global warming or the nuclear winter. While we deliberate here, as Comrade Fidel has warned, powerful and influential forces in the United States and Israel are paving the way to launch a military attack against the Islamic Republic of Iran. For its part, the Security Council, possibly under the illusion of preventing that, is going ahead with applying sanctions against that country, which, together with the unilateral sanctions illegally imposed by a group of States, seek to strangle the Iranian economy. The recent and politically biased report issued by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency has contributed to increasing the tensions and has provided a pretext for military escalation. Should that aggression in fact materialize, it would be a crime against the Iranian people and an assault against peace and international law that could ignite a conflict that will certainly turn nuclear. The toll would be millions of lives and the impact on the environment, the economy and world stability incalculable. Who could assert otherwise, and on the basis of what guarantees? How could it be argued that the present course of events is distancing the planet from war in the Middle East? The threat is too serious to trust in the capacity of the Security Council, where the main actor responsible for the crisis has relied on its ability to impose its designs. The wars against Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate that we cannot entrust one or a few Governments with the authority to decide when all diplomatic steps to prevent a war have been exhausted, when the use of force becomes unavoidable, and when the death of hundreds of thousands or millions of people and the destabilization of a large area of the planet — or all these things together — are inevitable. Sanctions, sieges and conflict are not the way to preserve international peace and security. On the contrary, dialogue, negotiation and adherence to the principle of the sovereign equality of States are the only way to avoid war. Cuba commends and encourages the efforts of all those countries, such as China, Russia, Brazil and Turkey, that strive to find peaceful solutions, and calls on the international community to support such initiatives. It is the duty of this General Assembly to officially support those efforts. The United Nations must be radically reformed and the powers of this General Assembly restored. The Security Council must be recreated. It must be reiterated that the Secretary-General and all senior officials of the international agencies, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, answer to all Member States, as set out in clear mandates adopted in accordance with the Charter and the rules of procedure. The serious threat posed by nuclear weapons will be solved only with their total elimination and prohibition. The manipulation surrounding non-proliferation — based on double standards and political interest, the existence of a club of the privileged and the denial to the countries of the South of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy — must stop. We urge the United States, the main nuclear Power, to stop opposing the negotiation of binding agreements that could rid us once and for all of this threat within a set time frame. Given the great lethal power and the ongoing development of conventional weapons, we will also have to fight for complete and general disarmament. In order to move ahead on those tasks, the Non-Aligned Movement submitted a proposal that has gone unheeded. The proposal envisages a plan of action that includes the establishment of nuclear- weapon-free zones. It is urgent to establish such a zone in the Middle East, where Israel is the only country that opposes it. Success in this effort would contribute significantly to dispelling the threats of conflict and nuclear proliferation and to achieving lasting peace in that region. The floods that have affected Pakistan, Central America and many other countries in the most diverse latitudes, as well as the droughts and extreme temperatures that have devastated Russia, are a tragic reminder of the threats of a climate out of balance. In the face of such a serious threat, no selfish interests or narrow political agendas that prevent the adoption of concrete and binding agreements at the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change should prevail. The developed countries, which bear the greatest responsibility for global warming, should accept more ambitious goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and refrain from destroying the framework established by the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol. It would be very irresponsible of the Governments of the industrialized countries to ignore the legitimate claims of the non-governmental organizations and social movements that were brutally suppressed in Copenhagen and later met in Cochabamba barely five months ago to defend Mother Earth, or to again seek to deceive public opinion by blaming the emerging economies. We call for the full support of the international community for Venezuela in its struggle. The victory in yesterday’s parliamentary elections demonstrates the broad majority support of the people for President Chávez and the Bolivarian revolution, which have suffered North American interference and the scorn and disinformation campaigns of the oligarchic groups and media empires. Now that the television cameras have left Haiti, we call for the pledges of international assistance to be honoured. The noble Haitian people need resources for reconstruction and, above all, for development. The United States Government is aware of Cuba’s readiness to coexist in a climate of peace, respect and sovereign equality, which we have expressly conveyed through official channels and which I reiterate here on behalf of President Raúl Castro. I am convinced that the development of relations based on international law and the purposes and principles of the United Nations would enable Cuba and the United States to address many of their differences and to resolve others. It would help to create an atmosphere conducive to trying to solve the problems of our region and, at the same time, provide significant support to the interests of our respective peoples. The agenda for dialogue and bilateral cooperation initiatives submitted to President Obama’s Administration on 14 July 2009, which I publicly announced in this Hall exactly a year ago (see A/64/PV.11), have yet to receive a response. The North American Government has shown no willingness to address essential matters on the bilateral agenda, so the official talks that have been held without great progress have been limited to specific issues. Contrary to expectations, even within the United States itself, its Government does not seem willing to amend even the most irrational and universally rejected aspects of its policy against Cuba. The main element in our bilateral relations is the economic, commercial and financial blockade that the United States Government imposes against my country directly and through the extraterritorial application of its laws. The blockade has been the subject of 18 resolutions that, with the almost unanimous support of Member States, have consistently called for its end. However, in the past two years, there has been no change in the policy of blockade and subversion against Cuba, even though all know that the President of that country is vested with sufficient authority to make real change and enjoys the broad majority support of the North American people in that respect. For United States citizens or foreigners residing in that country, travelling to Cuba remains illegal. It is impossible to sell Cuban products or products containing Cuban components or technology to the United States. With very limited exceptions, Cuba is forbidden to acquire, here or in any other country, any product containing a fraction of American input or technology. Financial transactions in United States dollars, whether linked to Cuba or not, can be either confiscated or frozen and the banks involved may be fined. Fines worth several millions are imposed on United States and foreign companies for violating the venal blockade laws. In addition, and in open contradiction of international norms, Cuba’s broadcasting space continues to be violated and radio and television broadcasts continue to be used for subversive purposes, while millions in federal funds are used to foment political instability in my country. Part of Cuba’s territory has been seized by the United States, which has imposed a military base in Guantánamo that has become a centre of torture beyond the jurisdiction of international humanitarian law. United States immigration policy towards Cuba, based on the Cuban Adjustment Act, is a politically motivated exception that encourages illegal migration and costs human lives. Cuba’s inclusion on the United States’ spurious list of countries that sponsor international terrorism is deeply immoral. Our demand, and the universal appeal concerning it, is well known. The five Cuban anti-terrorists who have been incarcerated in the United States for 12 years as political prisoners must be immediately released. Setting them free would be an act of justice that would enable President Obama to show his true commitment to combating terrorism in our own hemisphere. The President of the United States still has the opportunity to make a historical rectification of an utterly futile 50-year genocidal policy left over from the cold war. It would be an act of resolve that could only encourage the support of those who elected him for change and of the community of nations that votes for it every year. Whatever the circumstances, the Cuban revolution will unyieldingly and tenaciously pursue the sovereign path chosen by our people and shall not cease in its endeavours, based on the precepts of Martí and Fidel, to overcome all injustice.

I now give the floor to His Excellency Mr. Jean-Paul Adam, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Seychelles.

May I take this opportunity to join those who have come before me in congratulating His Excellency Mr. Joseph Deiss on his election as President of our Assembly and on his diligent stewardship of the proceedings thus far. I also thank and congratulate His Excellency Mr. Ali Abdussalam Treki for his leadership and drive at the head of the sixty-fourth session of the Assembly. We spent the first three days last week debating the progress made — or not made, as the case may be — in attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. For many of us, there are still formidable struggles ahead. For Seychelles, while we have made huge strides forward towards meeting these Goals, we are also pedalling furiously so as not to slip back on what we have already worked hard to achieve. This brings to mind the question: Are the MDGs an end in themselves? The task does not end in 2015. It cannot end in 2015. What happens, and where are we headed after that? Those of us that are middle-income countries, and that includes many small island developing States (SIDS), already know the different set of challenges that these questions bring — questions that other countries will also have to face as they achieve and move beyond the MDGs. The debate needs to start now, as we fast approach 2015, on how countries will access the affordable financing they will need not just to move beyond the MDGs, but to ensure that they keep and do not lose what they have achieved. That is why Seychelles announced at the MDG summit that we will be engaging with the United Nations system to enter into new commitments towards setting MDG-plus targets, the overall objective being to make sustainable development a reality beyond the Millennium Development Goals and the next generation. We are all aware of the differences among us in our sizes and populations. The needs of every Member of the United Nations are different. We have learned a lot about development over the years, and today we all know that one-size-fits-all does not work. At the United Nations and other development organizations, we have created development categories to facilitate access for those most in need of the appropriate resources. Resources are always stretched, and, as we move beyond 2015, we must make sure that development categories truly facilitate development. Such categories must not become a way to punish those that succeed in development. And we must not allow small island developing States to fall through the cracks between the categories. Middle-income SIDS face special problems that the international development architecture does not currently make provision for. The funding that is available to SIDS is fragmented. There is no reliable funding to them. Even on issues where SIDS are most affected, such as climate change, there are many barriers to our ability to access funding, not least the use of gross domestic product per capita criteria to define eligibility for funding. The question that will come up increasingly as we try to answer the question of how to fund development beyond 2015 is where SIDS can go to finance their development. The answer is that we need to define a specific development category for SIDS to be used by all development partners. That is why small island developing States say “let us start at home” by requesting the Secretary- General to initiate a system-wide review of how effectively the United Nations and its various agencies are actually supporting SIDS, and how that can be improved. This could be done by an inter-agency working group that would provide concrete recommendations to this sixty-fifth session of the General Assembly as to how the United Nations system could better support the specific needs of SIDS. The world economic and financial crisis has reinforced the vulnerability of island States to external shocks. More than ever, it has illustrated that islands need as much support as possible if they are to be able to pursue development successfully. As I have already highlighted, there are gaps in the existing development system. Those gaps mean that we must be prepared to be innovative in meeting the development challenges that are looming. We welcome the efforts of several countries and of the Secretary- General to adopt new and innovative means to finance development. In Seychelles, the pressures of the food, fuel and financial crises meant that in 2008 we had to engage in wide-ranging macroeconomic reform with the support of the Bretton Woods institutions, the Asian Development Bank and our Paris Club creditors. We are most grateful to all our partners for their support. I think it is interesting to note that while we were restructuring our old debt, our economy began to grow thanks to new foreign direct investment, most of it from the developing world — the Gulf, Africa and Asia. There are many new channels for development that remain relatively unexplored and unstructured. I would like also to brief the Assembly on a groundbreaking renewable energy project being undertaken in Seychelles with the support of the United Arab Emirates Government. This project is an example of how a small island can have access to affordable financing to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels — one of the things that make islands most vulnerable. These South-South dynamics are often overlooked in the traditional dynamics of the United Nations. Often, we also waste a lot of time on ideological debates that further obscure the true objectives of development. We need to be pragmatic and we need to act. Climate change, and in particular sea-level rise, remain by far the greatest threats to small islands. Much more ambitious global action needs to be taken to significantly reduce emissions and implement adaptation in a manner that will ensure the development aspirations and survival of all countries, small islands in particular. We need to ensure that fast- start funding is also available for disbursement as quickly as possible. I must stress the concern of small islands that much of the funding available to adapt to climate change is being channelled through traditional funding channels. This means that most SIDS will miss out on funds because of our middle-income status. Climate change requires funding mechanisms that do not rely only on business as usual. We need a real fast start. For the moment, we are still stuck at the starting block. While we reflect on the governance of the United Nations, we must also spare no effort to ensure that we can be effective in resolving conflict in those areas where human suffering is at its worst. In the Horn of Africa, we remain deeply concerned about the ongoing situation in Somalia. We convey our solidarity to the Somali people and the Transitional Federal Government that is trying to restore peace and security. We fully support the efforts of the African Union, through the African Union Mission in Somalia, and of the United Nations. It is clear, however, that we must now be prepared to move beyond what we have already tried and tested. The ongoing problems associated with the situation in Somalia also continue, unfortunately, to hamper the conditions for development in the region. The threat of terrorism is rising, while the scourge of piracy continues to spread further afield, as far east as Maldives and as far south as Madagascar. Seychelles has worked hard to ensure that our maritime zones remain safe, and we thank all our partners for their support. Nonetheless, piracy has led to direct losses in our economy of over 4 per cent of gross domestic product. We welcome the new regional project on piracy being developed by the Indian Ocean Commission and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, with the support of the European Union. This project approaches the problem from several angles simultaneously as we attempt to strengthen the regional capacity for patrols and surveillance, strengthen the legal and judicial capacity of our countries, and mitigate the negative effects on our economies. I would like to thank our friends and neighbours for their support on this issue. It is an issue that depends on all countries working together, both from within the region and beyond. We must also continue to engage with the Somalia to strengthen its ability to build its own institutions. Seychelles also strongly believes that the international community must strengthen its efforts to tackle transnational crimes that are often linked to instability and insecurity, from money-laundering to people trafficking. In the Indian Ocean region, we are determined to work with all partners to ensure that we can address these issues effectively. We are all part of the United Nations because we believe that we must work together to achieve development. Development is a collaborative process. We need to strengthen this collaboration. We need to make more efforts to ensure that there is more innovative financing to fund development. We need to be more pragmatic in our approach. We know it will not be easy, but that only strengthens our resolve. We are ready to move forward together.