A/76/PV.81 General Assembly

The Assembly will first proceed to a by-election to elect one member of the Economic and Social Council to fill the seat of the member that is relinquishing its seat before the end of its term, in accordance with rule 140 of the rules of procedure. In connection with the by-election, I would like to draw the attention of members to the letter dated 31 May from the Permanent Representative of Denmark to the United Nations (A/76/852), in which the Mission, in its capacity as Chair of the Group of Western European and other States for the month of May, announced that Austria would relinquish its seat by the end of this year, in favour of Liechtenstein. In line with the group’s rotation agreement, Liechtenstein is endorsed to fill the seat for the rest of the term. As a result, one vacancy in the Council will occur, and a new member must be elected to fill the unexpired term of Austria, commencing on 1 January 2023 and expiring on 31 December 2023. In accordance with paragraph 4 of resolution 2847 (XXVI), of 20 December 1971, and taking into account that the vacancy will occur from among the Western European and other States, the new member should be elected from this region. I should like to inform the Assembly that the candidate that receives the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of those present and voting will be declared elected. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, the election shall be held by secret ballot. I should like to inform members that, as of 1 January 2023, the following eight States from among the Western European and other States will be represented on the Economic and Social Council: Belgium, Canada, France, Israel, Italy, Portugal, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. The names of these States should therefore not appear on the ballot paper. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind representatives that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order in connection with the actual conduct of the voting. In addition, ballot papers will only be given to the delegate seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain in their seats until all ballots have been collected. I would like to remind members that, at this stage, they are voting in the by-election for one seat for the Western European and other States. The election of 18 members of the Council will take place immediately following this by-election. Ballot papers will now be distributed, and the voting has thus begun. In accordance with resolution 71/323 of 8 September 2017, the name of the State that has been communicated to the Secretariat has been printed on the ballot papers. Also, an additional blank line corresponding to the one vacant seat to be filled has been provided on the ballot paper for inscribing another State if desirable. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed and to put an “X” in the box next to the name of the State printed on the ballot paper or write the name of another eligible State on the blank line. If the box next to the name of a State is checked, the name of that State does not have to be repeated on the blank line. There should be no more than one checked box or handwritten name for the vacant seat to be filled as indicated on the ballot paper. A ballot will be declared invalid if it contains more names of States from the relevant region than the seat allocated to it. Accordingly, members can only check the box or write one name of an eligible Member State from the Western European and other States in the space provided. If the ballot paper contains a vote for a Member State that does not belong to the Western European and other States or for a Member State that continues to be a member of the Council next year, the ballot paper will be declared invalid. Finally, if a ballot paper contains any notation other than a vote in favour of an eligible Member State, those notations will be disregarded.

I shall now suspend the meeting for five minutes.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group B — Western European and other States Number of ballot papers: 191 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 191 Abstentions: 16 Number of Members voting: 175 Required two-thirds majority: 117 Number of votes obtained: Liechtenstein 174 Switzerland 1 Having obtained the required two-thirds majority, Liechtenstein was elected a member of the Economic and Social Council for a term of office beginning on 1 January 2023 and ending on 31 December 2023 (decision 76/413B).

I congratulate Liechtenstein on having been elected a member of the Economic and Social Council. The General Assembly will now proceed to the election of 18 members of the Economic and Social Council to replace those members whose term of office expires on 31 December 2022. The 18 outgoing members are: Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, China, Colombia, Congo, Denmark, Gabon, Greece, Latvia, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation and Thailand. Pursuant to rule 146 of the rules of procedure, those countries are eligible for immediate re-election. As of 1 January 2023, the following States will be represented on the Economic and Social Council: Afghanistan, Argentina, Belgium, Belize, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Eswatini, France, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, Oman, Peru, Portugal, Solomon Islands, Tunisia, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United Republic of Tanzania, the United States of America and Zimbabwe. The names of those States should therefore not appear on the ballot papers. In accordance with paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 2847 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, and taking into account the number of States that will remain members of the Council after 1 January 2023, the 18 members should be elected as follows: four from the Group of African States, four from the Group of Asia-Pacific States, three from the Group of Eastern European States, three from the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States and four from the Western European and other States. The ballot papers reflect that pattern. I should like to inform the Assembly that those candidates, their number not exceeding the number of seats to be filled, that receive the greatest number of votes and a two-thirds majority of the votes by members present and voting, will be declared elected. If the number of candidates obtaining a two- thirds majority is less than the number of members to be elected, there shall be additional ballots to fill the remaining places, the voting being restricted to the candidates obtaining the greatest number of votes in the previous ballot to a number not more than twice the places remaining to be filled. Also, consistent with past practice, in the case of a tied vote, and when it becomes necessary to determine the candidates to be elected or the ones to proceed to the next round of restricted balloting, there will be a special restricted ballot limited to those candidates that have obtained an equal number of votes. May I take it that the General Assembly agrees to those procedures?

Regarding candidatures, I have been informed of the following. For the four vacant seats for the Group of African States, four endorsed candidates have been communicated, namely, Botswana, Cabo Verde, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea. For the four vacant seats for the Group of Asia-Pacific States, four endorsed candidates have been communicated, namely, China, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Qatar and the Republic of Korea. For the three vacant seats for the Group of Eastern European States, three candidates have been communicated, namely, the Russian Federation, Slovakia and Slovenia. For the three vacant seats for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, three candidates have been communicated, namely, Brazil, Colombia and Costa Rica. For the four vacant seats for the Group of Western European and other States, four endorsed candidates have been communicated, namely, Denmark, Greece, New Zealand and Sweden. In accordance with rule 92 of the rules of procedure, we shall now proceed to the election by secret ballot. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind representatives that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. In addition, ballot papers will be given only to the representatives seated directly behind the country’s nameplate. We shall now begin the voting process. Members are requested to remain seated until all ballots have been collected. Ballot papers marked “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” and “E” will now be distributed. The voting has thus begun. In accordance with resolution 71/323, of 8 September 2017, the names of the States that have been communicated to the Secretariat at least 48 hours prior to the election today have been printed on the ballot papers for each of the regional groups. Also, additional blank lines corresponding to the number of vacant seats to be filled for each of the regional groups have been provided on the ballot papers for inscribing other names as necessary. Representatives are requested to use only the ballot papers that have been distributed and to check the boxes next to the names of the States from the relevant region for which they wish to vote and/or to write other eligible names on the blank lines. If the box next to the name printed on the ballot paper is checked, the name of that State does not need to be repeated on the blank line. The total number of checked boxes and all handwritten names may not exceed the number of vacant seats to be filled as indicated on the ballot paper. A ballot paper containing more names of States from the relevant region than the number of seats allocated to it will be declared invalid. Accordingly, for the ballot papers marked “A”, for the African States, the total number of checked boxes and handwritten names should not exceed four; for the ballot papers marked “B”, for the Asia-Pacific States, the total number of checked boxes and handwritten names should not exceed four; for the ballot papers marked “C”, for the Eastern European States, the total number of checked boxes and handwritten names should not exceed three; for the ballot papers marked “D”, for the Latin America and Caribbean States, the total number of checked boxes and handwritten names should not exceed three; and for the ballot papers marked “E”, for the Western European and other States, the total number of checked boxes and handwritten names should not exceed four. The ballot paper will be declared invalid if none of the names of the States on the ballot for which votes were cast belong to the relevant region. If the ballot paper of a region contains one of the following, the ballot remains valid but the vote for these States will not be counted: names of Member States that do not belong to the region concerned or Member States that will continue to be members of the Council. If a ballot paper contains any notation other than votes in favour of specific eligible candidates, those notations will be disregarded.

May I request delegations that may not have voted to do so now by approaching the front of the Hall to cast their votes. The voting is now closed. No more ballot papers will be accepted. In the interest of time, the General Assembly will now proceed to consider the other items announced in The Journal of the United Nations while the ballots are being counted. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 115.

Members will recall that, in its decision 75/584, of 9 September 2021, the General Assembly decided to defer consideration of item 126, “Multilingualism”, as well as the reports of the Secretary-General (A/75/798) and of the Joint Inspection Unit (see A/75/960 and A/75/960/Add.1). I now give the floor to the representative of Andorra to introduce draft resolution A/76/L.57.

On behalf of its more than 80 co-sponsors and of Colombia, co-facilitator with my country, Andorra, I have the honour to introduce draft resolution A/76/L.57, entitled “Multilingualism”. First of all, we would like to express our warm thanks to the States that co-sponsored the draft resolution and participated actively and constructively in the negotiation process. We would like in particular to thank the Member States of the Group of French- speaking Ambassadors and of the Group of Friends of Spanish for their invaluable support. We celebrate all the new contributions that have undoubtedly enriched the draft resolution so that multilingualism stands as another tool to promote, internally and externally, the work of our Organization. As a core value and founding principle of our Organization, multilingualism, plays an essential role in harmonious communication among peoples and is undoubtedly one of the driving forces of multilateral diplomacy. Multilingualism promotes unity in diversity as well as understanding, tolerance and dialogue among countries. It has become one of the pillars that contributes to the achievement of the objectives of the United Nations set out in Article 1 of the United Nations Charter, while helping to improve the efficiency, results and transparency of our Organization. It is also one of the priorities highlighted by the Secretary-General. Allow me to highlight a few elements of the draft resolution. This year as in others, the Secretary-General is requested to ensure that multilingualism is not undermined by the measures taken in response to the various crises that our Organization has experienced, and that multilingualism is respected in all cases in which such circumstances may recur in the future. We once again thank the Coordinator for Multilingualism for his work, in particular during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, and we reiterate our support for the development of a coherent framework on multilingualism throughout the Secretariat that can support a comprehensive and coordinated approach to multilingualism in the United Nations system. In the draft resolution, we therefore welcome the ongoing development of the network of focal points that supports the Coordinator for Multilingualism in effectively and consistently implementing relevant resolutions throughout all Secretariat entities, as well as the formulation of concrete objectives with a view to establishing an operational action plan in favour of multilingualism. With regard to the role of the Department of Global Communications in multilingualism, the draft resolution requests the Secretary-General to intensify his efforts to ensure the full implementation of existing mandates in the area of multilingualism as they relate to information and communications. At the same time, it highlights the delays in eliminating the disparity between the use of English and the use of the five other official languages in the archiving of official meeting webcasts by the Department of Global Communications. However, we acknowledge the efforts made by the United Nations and the Department of Global Communications to relay the Organization’s messages in various languages around the world, via information centres and in the official and non-official languages of the Organization, as appropriate and within the limits of existing resources. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Organization’s website and social networks have become essential tools for Member States, the media, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and the general public. In that regard, we would like to stress how important it is that the Secretary-General ensure that the minimum standards for multilingualism, which were developed by the Department of Global Communications, guarantee that all the official languages of the Organization are used in an equitable manner on websites, regardless of the content. (spoke in Spanish) With regard to human resources management and staff training, the draft resolution encourages the development of guidelines on the establishment of language requirements and their application to future vacancies and welcomes the development of the pilot project to build an inventory of staff language skills, but notes that the inventory has not yet been deployed. In short, the draft resolution under consideration is a tool for promoting equality among the six official languages, as well as an acknowledgement of the importance of the non-official languages. I would not want to conclude without expressing our appreciation for the work of the language services staff in keeping multilingualism alive and active and putting our agreements into practice in all areas of the Organization. We hope to have the support of all delegations for the adoption by consensus of draft resolution A/76/L.57.

I have the honour to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends of Spanish at the United Nations. We are grateful for the arduous work carried out by the facilitators, Colombia and Andorra, which allowed us to reach agreement on this important draft resolution (A/76/L.57) in spite of the difficulties caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic. The Group reiterates the importance of multilingualism as a cornerstone of multilateralism. It is also a central value and a fundamental principle enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. It is a value that not only facilitates multilateral diplomacy but also facilitates dialogue, tolerance and mutual understanding. It also contributes to the achievement of the three pillars of the United Nations: international peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. Allow me to underscore the following points, which are of relevance to the Group. First, we recognize that the very essence of the Organization is its universal nature, which is achieved, inter alia, through multilingualism as a principal mechanism of communication with and among the citizens of the Member States. We therefore reiterate the need to adopt a holistic approach to our exercise. We need to begin by harmonizing terms, and we also need to establish and disseminate original content on official websites and social media platforms of the United Nations. Secondly, we urge the Secretariat to establish strategies and action plans to achieve the effective implementation of multilingualism as a cross-cutting principle of the work of the Organization. Those strategies must be coherent and must be implemented in a harmonious fashion. Doing that would ensure the implementation of multilingualism and language parity across the United Nations system. Thirdly, we regret that, in spite of the reiterated appeals for compliance with the provisions established by the linguistic recommendations of the various organs and bodies of the Organization, we have not yet achieved linguistic parity among the six official languages, or full respect for multilingualism. We reiterate the need to eradicate the clear preference given to certain languages over others. We urge the Secretariat to comply with the principle of linguistic parity where the official languages of the Organization are concerned. Fourthly, in spite of the fact that more than two years have elapsed since the beginning of the pandemic, we reiterate the need for the interpretation services and translation services to be fully implemented and used across intergovernmental, in-person, virtual, formal and informal meetings, as well as all meetings held within the Organization. While we recognize the challenges that we currently face, it is necessary to seek, as soon as possible, alternative mechanisms that allow us to uphold security standards, as well as mechanisms that give us the capacity to cover all meetings in an agile and efficient manner and at reasonable cost. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the readiness of the Group of Friends of Spanish to continue moving forward together for the benefit of the Spanish-speaking community and for the benefit of the Organization as a whole. In doing so, we will make substantive progress on the issue under consideration today.

Colombia aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Costa Rica on behalf of the Group of Friends of Spanish. It was a privilege for Colombia to facilitate, together with Andorra, draft resolution A/76/L.57, which concerns an issue of the highest importance for all Member States. Colombia understands multilingualism as the fundamental pillar of dialogue in the framework of the United Nations, on which the foundations of multilateralism and understanding among Member States have been built. We greatly appreciate the constructive spirit that characterized the participation of all States throughout the negotiations, and we express our appreciation for having reached agreement to once again adopt by consensus the draft resolution on multilingualism, thereby energizing the message to the world from the United Nations. Likewise, I want to thank the interpreters, who provided us with their valuable service during the initial stage of the negotiation process. Their effort is vital to our daily work. Our determination to fully implement multilingualism since 1945 has made it possible to bring positions closer together, address challenges jointly and determine collective actions to fully realize the mandate of our Organization. Languages express who we are and provide structure to our thoughts and identities. That is why there can be no authentic dialogue or effective international cooperation without respect for linguistic diversity. They are a central component of human rights and fundamental freedoms and an essential tool to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves to achieve sustainable development. We should therefore reaffirm every day a strong commitment to persist and ensure that our languages leave their mark in the globalized world. It is clear that languages and multilingualism make an extraordinary contribution to the strengthening of inclusive societies that leave no one behind, overcoming language barriers and encouraging dialogue as the main tool of the multilateral system. We must be aware that the recovery following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic requires, hand in hand with determined political leadership, a robust multilateralism that is conducive to making informed decisions and that has a vision of the future. That is where the full application of interconnected multilateralism is essential. It strengthens coordination among all international community actors who are able to contribute to that end. Undoubtedly, a multilingual approach enhances the capacity of the United Nations to take action, bring key messages and essential information to the entire population in their languages so that they may confront their daily realities and contribute to the constant improvement of the quality of life. The draft resolution that we will adopt today grants the appropriate mandates and defines the relevant actions that promote the preservation of various cultures and languages, while fostering tolerance, the culture of peace and non-violence. As a Spanish-speaking country, we would like to highlight the substantial progress made by our language at the United Nations, according to reports of the Secretary-General. We are pleased to note significant growth on United Nations News platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase from 20 million page views in 2019 to 70 million in 2020, with the United Nations News site in Spanish experiencing an increase of 265 per cent. We appreciate the fact that visits to the Organization’s web pages in Spanish reached 30 million visitors, and we are pleased that Spanish represents 26.7 per cent of the total visits to all United Nations websites worldwide. We enthusiastically highlight that the Spanish website of United Nations News was the most visited of the nine United Nations News websites in 2021, 138 per cent above the 2019 average. Although there are many positive results, we cannot ignore the fact that we observed many challenges to the full implementation of multilingualism throughout negotiations on the draft resolution. The trend towards monolingualism, the scarce availability of resources in the Secretariat to ensure language parity, the rapid advance of phenomena such as disinformation and the widening of the technology and information and communications technologies gap are some of the challenges that require our continued focus so that we may rapidly overcome them. The Assembly can continue to count on Colombia, as a member of the Group of Friends of Spanish, to maintain its unwavering commitment to affirm the practice of multilingualism for the sake of the principles of equity and justice towards all the regions represented in the Organization. In conclusion, I wish to recall the inspiring words of Nelson Mandela: “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart”.

Let me begin by thanking the co-facilitators, Andorra and Colombia, for successfully steering the consultations on draft resolution A/76/L.57, on multilingualism, which India is happy to co-sponsor. Multilingualism is recognized as a core value of the United Nations, and we also thank the Secretary-General for prioritizing multilingualism. This year for the first time, the draft resolution mentions the Hindi language. It encourages the Department of Global Communications to continue disseminating important communications and messages in official as well as non-official languages, including in the Hindi language. It also mentions the Bangla and Urdu languages for the first time. We welcome all those additions. India has been partnering with the Department of Global Communications since 2018 by providing an extrabudgetary contribution to mainstream and consolidate news and multimedia content in Hindi. As part of those efforts, the Hindi@UN project was launched in 2018, with the objective of enhancing the public outreach of the United Nations in Hindi and spreading greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking people around the world. In that context, I would like to recall resolution 13 (I), adopted on 13 February 1946 during the first session of the General Assembly, which stated that the United Nations cannot achieve its purposes unless the people of the world are fully informed of its aims and activities. It is imperative that multilingualism at the United Nations, in a true sense, be embraced. India will support the United Nations in achieving that objective.

Allow me, at the outset, to thank the Secretary-General for his report (A/75/798), as well as the co-facilitators of draft resolution A/76/L.57, Andorra and Colombia, for all their efforts during the negotiations. Canada is proud to once again co-sponsor the draft resolution this year. (spoke in Spanish) I wish to sincerely thank Andorra and Colombia for their leadership of this process, which is so vital to our work here at the United Nations. (spoke in French) Multilingualism is one of the core values of the United Nations. It allows us to exchange and share ideas and debate in the six official languages. In that regard, I wish to warmly thank the interpreters and the translators for all their work. It is important to note that multilingualism has suffered during the coronavirus disease pandemic. Too often, meetings were offered without interpretation services, which hindered many representatives from fully participating in our work. We hope that lessons have been drawn from that experience. (spoke in English) Canada also notes the difficulties reported by Secretariat entities in compiling accurate and comprehensive data for the report of the Secretary-General and welcomes efforts to produce disaggregated data by language to allow for evidence-based policymaking. More than one in five Canadians were born outside Canada. As an officially bilingual country, with 60 indigenous languages and citizens who communicate in more than 200 languages, Canada understands that with a language comes cultures, heritage, experience, insights and knowledge that enrich the fabric of our communities. Multilingualism promotes dialogue and understanding, which are essential to our work here at the United Nations. Canada will remain strongly committed to its promotion and its preservation.

El Salvador aligns itself with the statement made by the representative of Costa Rica on behalf of the Group of Friends of Spanish and would like to make some additional remarks in our national capacity. We would like to take this opportunity to echo the thanks expressed for the great dedication and efforts of the co-facilitators, Colombia and Andorra, which today will allow us to adopt draft resolution A/76/L.57, which is important for the work of the Organization. As a core value of the United Nations, multilingualism not only contributes to achieving the purposes and principles of the Organization but is also a crucial component of multilateral diplomacy and strengthens our ability to communicate with the peoples of the world in their own languages. Consequently, we underscore the value of adopting the draft resolution, which we believe to be an important step towards recognizing that multilingualism is pivotal to guaranteeing the relevance, smooth functioning and sustainability of the United Nations. The discussions that were held during negotiations were undertaken after the coronavirus disease pandemic had already had a profound impact on the work of the Organization. As such, we believe it is of the utmost importance that the draft resolution recognize the measures adopted to preserve multilingualism in turbulent times. Beyond challenges related to the crisis that the Organization has faced in recent years, we wish to recognize that there are also long-term challenges to ensuring that multilingualism is a cross-cutting principle that permeates the work of the entire Organization. We therefore issue an appeal for linguistic parity to be upheld among the six official languages. We deeply regret that, although that principle is enshrined in a significant number of intergovernmental decisions, it is still not upheld. We are convinced that the internal and external implementation of multilingual policies and strategies by the Organization makes a difference. Today more than ever, disseminating multilingual information is vital to fully inform the peoples of the world of the goals and activities of the United Nations and to strengthen international support for its activities. In that vein, we hope that draft resolution A/76/L.57 — and indeed all resolutions that establish language regimes for the official languages of the United Nations and the working languages of the Secretariat  — will be fully implemented to ensure that multilingualism becomes a genuine cross-cutting principle and core value of the Organization.

I would like to thank the President for convening this important debate on multilingualism, as well as the Secretary-General for his report (A/75/798). I also want to acknowledge with appreciation the contribution and leadership of Under- Secretary-General Abelian in his role as Coordinator of Multilingualism and to take this opportunity to thank the Permanent Missions of Colombia and Andorra for their excellent facilitation of the multilingualism draft resolution, A/76/L.57, of which we are pleased to be a sponsor. Multilingualism continues to face challenges. Nearly half of the world’s languages are endangered and at risk of becoming extinct by the turn of the century. According to a study by UNESCO, an estimated 40 per cent of the world’s population do not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand. There is clearly an urgent need to save our languages, which are our heritage and identity. Bangladesh’s commitment to multilingualism is rooted in its history. We are perhaps the only country in the world that has had to shed blood to protect the sanctity of our mother tongue. On 21 February 1952, a group of courageous young men and women gave their lives to establish Bangla as our State language. What started as a movement to assure our language of its rightful place led to the emergence in 1971 of the independent State of Bangladesh — a land of the Bengali, the Bangla-speaking people. The most fitting tribute to the language martyrs of Bangladesh was UNESCO’s proclamation in 1999 that 21 February each year would be observed as International Mother Language Day, subsequently endorsed by multiple resolutions of the General Assembly. All States Members of the United Nations have observed that day every year since 1999 in order to promote mother languages and multilingualism. In Bangladesh, we promote mother-language-based education for all. There are 132 schools that provide education in the mother languages of our various smaller ethnic and tribal groups. The national curriculum textbooks are also produced in the main five tribal languages. In Dhaka in 2001 we established the International Mother Language Institute, which works with UNESCO for the preservation of the nearly extinct languages of the world. In a rapidly changing global scenario, we need to stay true to our commitment to promoting multilingualism, and for that we need concerted efforts at all levels. Let me share a few thoughts in that regard. First, the United Nations should lead by example in promoting multilingualism in its work. A large number of nations and peoples of the world are excluded from using their own languages at the United Nations, including Bangla speakers, who represent more than 260 million people globally, as Bangla is the seventh most spoken language in the world. We would like to see greater efforts by the United Nations to ensure the inclusion of all languages in our Organization, including sign languages. Secondly, the United Nations should use its communications tool to reach a global audience at large. In that regard, we commend the Department of Global Communications for its efforts in highlighting some recent important communications and messages of the Secretary-General in non-official languages, including Bangla, in addition to the Organization’s official languages. The United Nations country teams and especially its information centres should be strengthened in order to promote and translate all of our Organization’s documents into various national and local languages. Thirdly, technology has an important role in promoting multilingualism. However, to reap the benefits of technology, we must ensure that it is accessible to all, especially those living in less- developed and developing countries where the digital divide is a major challenge. We appreciate the use in the United Nations, including during the coronavirus disease pandemic, of innovative online language tools and translation technologies such as eLUNa, which help make human translation more efficient, as well as the United Nations terminology database, UNTERM. But we need to see them further scaled up and, most importantly, made accessible to the developing world. I would like to conclude by reiterating my delegation’s full support to all United Nations efforts to promote and preserve multilingualism everywhere.

I would like to thank the President for convening this important meeting on multilingualism, one of the core values of multilateralism as enshrined in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations. The Kingdom of Morocco would also like to take this opportunity to extend its heartfelt thanks to Andorra and Colombia, the facilitators of the draft resolution on multilingualism (A/76/L.57), for their valuable and tireless efforts, which have proved effective throughout the negotiation period. The draft resolution has a clear vision, constructive objectives and a realistic methodology for developing multilingualism within the United Nations. As in previous years, Morocco has become a sponsor of today’s draft resolution, in a demonstration of the great importance we attach to multilingualism and multilateralism in the United Nations. Morocco welcomed the Secretary-General’s report on multilingualism (A/75/798), which once again emphasized the vital importance and urgency of multilingualism in the United Nations as a necessary tool for achieving our goals and serving all peoples throughout the world. We thank and congratulate the Secretary-General and the Secretariat for their tireless efforts to consolidate multilingualism within our Organization, and in that context, we reiterate our deep appreciation to the Secretary-General for appointing a Coordinator of Multilingualism within the Organization. The Secretary-General’s report highlights many facts that the Kingdom of Morocco has always defended. First, multilingualism contributes significantly to the efficiency, performance and transparency of the United Nations. We once again stress the importance of linguistic parity among the Organization’s six official languages. Secondly, the coronavirus disease pandemic has increased the demand for virtual work, particularly through online platforms and social media. In that regard, I commend the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management and the Department of Global Communications for their tireless efforts in enabling us to continue using the six official languages of the United Nations as much as possible throughout the pandemic. I want to underscore the importance of the use of virtual language tools to ensure linguistic parity among the six official languages. Thirdly, supporting multilingualism at the United Nations in accordance with the universal principles and values enshrined in the Charter also requires Member States to provide the important and necessary financial support to the Secretariat and the Organization in order to consolidate multilingualism. Fourthly, strengthening the roles of civil-society actors and other stakeholders, including academic specialists, enables them to play an active and vital role in strengthening and promoting multilingualism within our Organization. Morocco has always played a significant and internationally recognized role as a humanitarian, cultural, civilizational and religious focal point as well as a bridge between Africa, Europe and the Arab world. As a country with a long history of multiculturalism, the Kingdom of Morocco plays an important role in defending multilingualism and respecting the diversity of identities and cultures that we believe greatly enriches every nation, as well as the international community in general. (spoke in French) We consider languages to be priceless treasures. When a language is lost, centuries of memory, history, skills and knowledge about people, places and nations disappear with it. The threat of losing languages that are dying or becoming endangered is far graver than losing a physical, tangible or recoverable object. At stake are the traditions, as well as the concepts of time and space, of the people who use those languages as a means of expression. In that regard, languages are not merely means of communication but are ceaselessly evolving, living archives that hold within them valuable information about history, people and geographies. Languages are also constantly evolving to incorporate new data into their memories, reflecting developments in the societies in which they are spoken. That is why we must ensure that multilingualism is strengthened at all levels, taking into account the continuing developments across language sectors. In addition, respect for multilingualism within our Organization contributes to the strengthening of intercultural and intercivilizational dialogue, and ultimately to consolidating a culture of peace that reflects the linguistic and cultural diversity of different nations and civilizations. Multilingualism contributes to strengthening the implementation of the three pillars of our Organization, namely, peace and security, development and human rights. Finally, the celebration of multilingualism this year is another important reminder that we must take into account the expression of linguistic realities in our young people and societies in order to shape generations that are anchored in our cultures and identities, while also maintaining a strong link with the rest of the world. Strengthening multilingualism within the United Nations will undoubtedly contribute to that noble goal.

My delegation would like to thank the co-facilitators of draft resolution A/76/L.57. I want to highlight the importance of multilingualism as a fundamental value for enhancing communication in the United Nations system. Kiswahili, one of the unofficial languages recognized by our Organization, ranks among the 10 most-spoken languages in the world, with more than 200 million speakers. In November, UNESCO recognized Kiswahili and designated 7 July as World Kiswahili Language Day. For the first time this year, Kiswahili will be celebrated at the United Nations. I therefore wish to welcome everyone to the commemorative event for World Kiswahili Language Day that will be held here at the United Nations on 7 July.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate on agenda item 126. We shall now proceed to consider draft resolution A/76/L.57, entitled “Multilingualism”. I give the floor to the representative of the Secretariat.

The present statement, pertaining to paragraph 10 of draft resolution A/76/L.57 and made in accordance with rule 153 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, will also be distributed to the Member States. The request contained in paragraph 10 of the draft resolution would entail the translation in 2022 of the Procurement Manual into three additional languages, with a word count of approximately 78,400 words, to be made available in all official languages. That would constitute an addition to the documentation workload for the Department for General Assembly and Conference Management in 2022, and the related non-recurrent resources requirements are estimated at $139,000. However, the Department will make every effort to implement the request within its existing capacities. Accordingly, should the General Assembly adopt draft resolution A/76/L.57, no additional requirements would arise under the programme budget for 2022. I should like to announce that, since the submission of draft resolution A/76/L.57, and in addition to those delegations listed in the document, the following countries have also become sponsors of draft resolution A/76/L.57: Afghanistan, Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahrain, Belgium, Benin, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, El Salvador, Gabon, the Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Guinea, Iceland, Indonesia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, the Niger, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Oman, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Qatar, the Republic of Moldova, Suriname, Togo and Timor-Leste.

May I take it that the Assembly decides to adopt draft resolution A/76/L.57?

May I take it that it is the wish of the General Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 126?

The General Assembly will resume its consideration of agenda item 124, entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system”, to continue the debate, pursuant to resolution 76/262, of 26 April 2022, on the situation as to which a veto was cast by two permanent members of the Security Council at its 9048th meeting, on 26 May 2022, under the agenda item entitled “Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.

This is the first time that the General Assembly has convened pursuant to resolution 76/262, entitled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council”, which was adopted by consensus on 26 April and co-sponsored by Uruguay. The resolution  — through its mechanism for enshrining transparency and accountability for the permanent members of the Security Council — marks a break with previous Security Council practice and a turning point in the relationship between the Council and the Assembly. The new framework does not alter that institutional relationship or the specific mandates of the Council and the Assembly; rather, as we mentioned, it adds a mechanism of accountability and increased transparency for the benefit of all Members of the Organization. For its part, our country continues to be in favour of such practices for ensuring accountability among the permanent members of the Council, such as through our decision to join the French-Mexican initiative for members to suspend the use of the veto in the event of systematic human rights violations. Article 24 of the Charter of the United Nations confers the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security on the Council, in accordance with the purposes and principles of our Organization. That is why for Uruguay, it is crucial that the work of the Council on this serious matter not be hindered. When, as in this case, the Council’s permanent members do not use the veto mechanism responsibly, our Organization is prevented from realizing its most important purpose, as enshrined in the Preamble to the Charter and its Article 1. We therefore reiterate the need for the responsible use of the veto mechanism and highlight the efforts in that regard of an important group of Member States, including Uruguay, in the framework of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group. We urge the permanent members of the Council to seek to negotiate, through dialogue, additional solutions to respond to the situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and return to adopting them by consensus as resolutions of the Council, as was the practice until recently. With regard to the issue in question that resulted in draft resolution S/2022/431 being submitted to the Council, we would like to reaffirm Uruguay’s position condemning the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s ballistic missile test launches and reiterating the call for strict compliance with previous resolutions of the Council on that situation, all of which were adopted by consensus. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must also comply with the international non-proliferation regime, in particular its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards. We would like to take this opportunity to recall our position, as a signatory State to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- Ban Treaty, that ensuring the Treaty’s entry into force is essential.

The Philippines condemns the intercontinental ballistic missile test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That reckless and provocative action poses a grave threat to all nations, compromises the global non-proliferation regime and undermines peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, the entire region and the world. Peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region is invariably linked to the situation on the Korean peninsula. We are firm in our conviction that there is no military solution to a fraternal conflict and that the pursuit of lasting peace in the Korean peninsula is the collective responsibility of our entire region. The Philippines will continue to play a constructive role in advancing a peaceful and denuclearized Korean peninsula through confidence-building measures among stakeholders bilaterally and Association of Southeast Asian Nations-led mechanisms.

Lithuania aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the European Union and its member States (see A/76/ PV.77). I would like to add the following remarks in my national capacity. We share the concern of the States Members of the United Nations with regard to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s continuation and further development of its unlawful nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, in particular its most recent launches of ballistic missiles. We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply fully with all its obligations under the resolutions of the Security Council. It remains of the utmost importance that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea engage in meaningful discussions with all relevant parties with a view to building a basis for sustainable peace and security and that it take steps to pursue the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. Lithuania is concerned that the misuse of the veto power by Russia and China — two permanent members of the Security Council — has prevented the Council from acting in fulfilment of its responsibility to maintain peace and security. Draft resolution S/2022/431 was rightly supported by 13 members of the Council, but that did not prove sufficient for a subsequent decision based on the earlier consensus decision of the Council to impose further sanctions in the event of a further Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nuclear test or launch of a ballistic missile system capable of reaching intercontinental ranges. In that regard, we welcome the President’s prompt decision to schedule today’s plenary meeting, thereby for the first time activating resolution 76/262, entitled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council”. The current context reminds us of the dire implications of the reduced ability of the Council to take effective action against threats to international peace and security. Let us underscore once again the pressing need to reaffirm our commitment to the Charter of the United Nations and strengthening the role of the General Assembly.

At the outset, I must say that I am concerned that we are meeting in the General Assembly to consider an issue that, unfortunately, was not properly addressed by the Security Council. Today the Assembly has convened, in accordance with the provisions of resolution 76/262, because the use of the veto by two permanent members of the Council blocked it from adopting the measures necessary for it to exercise its essential functions, namely, to maintain international peace and security. Guatemala considers it necessary and timely for the Council to take measures in the light of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s rapid and illegal development of nuclear and ballistic-missile launching activities, which seriously threaten the security of the Korean peninsula and the rest of the international community. Given the very great importance of that issue, it is regrettable that the veto was misused on draft resolution S/2022/431, which contained significant actions in full accordance with the non-proliferation regime and addressed the deplorable humanitarian situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, including with regard to cyber space. Guatemala supports efforts towards disarmament and the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. We adhere to the vast majority of international frameworks on that issue, and our principled position in support of the non-proliferation regime continues to be more valid and necessary than ever. It is unacceptable that, since the beginning of this year alone, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has conducted more than 12 ballistic missile tests, including intercontinental missile tests, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk and flagrantly violating the Charter of the United Nations, the resolutions of the Council and the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, among other instruments. Such actions undoubtedly disrupt international peace and security, increase regional tensions and hinder multilateral efforts to promote dialogue, trust and cooperation towards ensuring peace and denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. In that regard, my delegation calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with the basic obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. We find it unacceptable that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to consider carrying out such tests, both on land and at sea, without taking into account the environmental and humanitarian consequences of such harmful and irreversible explosions. In addition, my country regrets that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea places a higher priority on developing and testing nuclear weapons, including ballistic missiles, than on investing in the development of its population. Finally, Guatemala urges for dialogue to continue in pursuit of a diplomatic and definitive solution to the conflict. We also urge the Council to continue to work with Member States, taking into account the seriousness of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s actions, and to fulfil its responsibilities under our Organization’s Charter to put an end to those constant threats to international peace and security.

Chile would like to underscore that today’s meeting  — the first of its kind activating the standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council  — will prove useful in our pursuit of transparency and accountability. We recognize the complexity of the use of the veto and understand that there are no middle-ground options or compromises built into that mechanism. In that regard, as a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency group, my country has subscribed to its code of conduct on Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. We urge the permanent members of the Council not to use the veto in the face of such atrocities. Chile also supports the French-Mexican initiative to suspend the use of the veto in the event of mass atrocities and serious violations of human rights and international law  — and that initiative is complementary to the group’s code of conduct. We call on the members of the Council that hold the right of the veto to consider weighing the cost of rendering an already dysfunctional body unable to fulfil its higher mission of effectively ensuring, through collective action, international peace and security, as well as preventing and removing threats to it. The membership is fully cognizant of what needs to be done in order to make progress in that regard. We are aware of the complex context in which today’s debate is taking place. For that reason, we call for flexibility and increased foresight in our discussions, as well as solutions to enable this new mechanism to truly contribute to constructively addressing international crises, because we cannot leave them in limbo. We recognize that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s continued launches of ballistic missiles, including those with an intercontinental range, represent a clear threat to international peace and security. Finally, we urge respect for the decisions of the Council, the Charter of the United Nations and the disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation regime. The only way to return to the negotiating table is through a peaceful and diplomatic solution. That is the inalienable function of multilateralism, the very raison d’être and essence of our Organization.

As a founding Member of our Organization, Argentina is firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations. We have maintained a very firm position against the use of the veto since the negotiations at the San Francisco Conference in 1945. Unfortunately, the General Assembly is meeting today to address yet another threat to international peace and security on which the Security Council has been unable to take action, owing to the use of the veto on draft resolution S/2022/431, of 26 May, by some of its permanent members (see S/PV.9048). Argentina sees the veto as a privilege undermining the principle of sovereign equality among States, and it should be abolished. We have reiterated our position against the veto and in favour of the reform of the Council, which has received the consensus support of Member States every time the issue has been considered, particularly in the process of intergovernmental negotiations. The Council must be more democratic, transparent, efficient, representative and accountable to the international community. On 25 March, Argentina issued a communiqué in which we expressed our strongest condemnation of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile on 24 March, in yet another act of hostility and provocation against the international community. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear programme has been identified as one of the most relevant challenges to the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, given the fact that it withdrew from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) by openly violating it in developing technology for non-peaceful uses while it was a State party to the Treaty. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea disassociated itself from the NPT safeguards system following its denunciation of the Treaty in 2003, to which it had acceded in 1985. Between 2006 and 2017, it conducted six nuclear tests of different scales, each of which gave rise to Council resolutions condemning its actions and imposing different types of punitive measures for limiting and delaying the progress of its nuclear programme. Argentina has always strongly condemned the actions and military programme of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. We call for full compliance with the obligations under relevant Council resolutions and urge the regime to return to the NPT. We call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to cooperate without delay with the International Atomic Energy Agency in the full and effective implementation of its NPT Safeguards Agreement and resolve all outstanding issues, including those that have arisen during the period in which the Agency’s inspectors were absent from the country. The situation in North Korea highlights the importance of the universalization and early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, as well as the need to achieve general, verifiable and complete nuclear disarmament. Argentina takes this opportunity to once again urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to immediately comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions, putting an end to this pattern of hostile acts in the region, which constitute a threat to international peace and security.

Measures adopted by the Security Council under the provisions of Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations are of a legally binding nature for all Members of our Organization. However, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is convinced that such measures should always be seen as a tool and not as an end in themselves. More than 15 years have passed since the Security Council adopted a strict, far-reaching and comprehensive sanctions regime against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That was accompanied by a series of unilateral coercive measures illegally imposed by the United States Government, which clearly had, and continue to have today, a negative impact on the well- being and human rights of all the people of North Korea. Today the situation on the Korean peninsula is of great concern to the entire international community, particularly amid the current international context. We are therefore extremely concerned by the fact that, although time has shown that sanctions are not the solution to this issue and that unilateral approaches have failed, there is an attempt to insist, in a cruel and inhumane manner, on the expansion of such regimes, which ultimately end up affecting the most vulnerable, especially today, when the world and the heroic people of that nation continue to face the onslaught of the coronavirus disease pandemic. Against that backdrop, our country believes that, if denuclearization is truly to be achieved, the time has come to change the approach to dealing with the situation of the Korean peninsula. In that regard, we believe that three specific steps should be taken as a matter of urgency. First, the Security Council must play a proactive, inclusive and constructive role on the issue. Secondly, progress must be made in alleviating the human suffering of the heroic North Korean people, which requires, on the one hand, expanding the humanitarian exemptions to the sanctions imposed by the Security Council and, on the other hand, putting an end to the illegal application of all coercive, restrictive, punitive and unilateral measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Thirdly, dialogue and negotiation among the parties must be pursued as the only way to achieve tangible results. Like any situation, the issue of the Korean peninsula must be addressed in a holistic and comprehensive manner, taking its background and root causes into account and bearing in mind the developments, dynamics and realities in that region That is why we can understand the reasons that led the Chinese and Russian delegations to vote against draft resolution S/2022/431, submitted to the Security Council on 26 May, which resulted in the convening of this meeting. In that regard, we acknowledge the transparency with which both delegations have participated in this meeting and explained their reasons for vetoing the draft text. In that context, we take this opportunity to draw attention to the increasing trend to escalate provocation and threats against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That is evidenced by the expansion of the military presence of Powers outside the region on the Korean peninsula, the increase in the number of joint military exercises, the launching of ballistic missiles by the United States and the Republic of Korea last Monday, the establishment of new partnerships and military blocs in the region and even statements by high-ranking officials calling for the deployment of nuclear weapons in the region, in addition to the lack of reciprocity and the failure of the United States Government to fulfil its commitments made between 2018 and 2019. In that regard, it is necessary to emphasize that the principle of the indivisibility of security means that the security of one country cannot be at the expense of that of others. In addition, today we once again reiterate our grave concern about the recent cooperation agreements on nuclear submarines among the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which threaten nuclear proliferation in the South Pacific, in violation of the Rarotonga Treaty, and which, furthermore, seem to revive the Cold War mentality by resurrecting the politics of alliances and zones of military control based on nuclear potential. We stress that no first use of nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances and no use or threat of use of weapons, especially in nuclear-weapon-free zones, must remain a matter of common sense in order to maintain international peace and security. In the light of all the above, as a responsible member of the international community, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela calls for an end to any provocation, policy of maximum pressure or hostile action against the Democratic Republic of Korea, as well as interference in its internal affairs. Instead, we deem it necessary to pursue all diplomatic efforts to create an atmosphere conducive to the early resumption of dialogue and negotiation among the parties in order to achieve a mutually acceptable political solution to this situation in the interests of regional peace, stability and security. We also call for the urgent implementation of confidence-building and reconciliation measures, in which the legitimate and reasonable concerns of the Pyongyang authorities must necessarily be taken into account. In conclusion, true to the principles of our Bolivarian Diplomacy for Peace, we reaffirm our strong determination to preserve, promote and defend the United Nations Charter, as well as our principled and historic position on disarmament and non-proliferation, including our unwavering commitment to efforts towards building a world free of nuclear weapons through their total, irreversible, verifiable and non-discriminatory elimination, while calling on the parties to exercise maximum restraint and to avoid taking any steps that could escalate tensions and result in serious miscalculations with inconceivable consequences for all humankind. Only political dialogue, direct negotiation and diplomacy will lead to lasting peace and the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

Ukraine aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer (see A/76/PV.77). Our delegation would like to make some remarks in its national capacity. As one of the co-sponsors of resolution 76/262, entitled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council”, Ukraine welcomes today’s debate. We believe that this debate will strengthen multilateralism and contribute to international peace and stability. However, we regret that the Security Council failed to exercise its primary responsibility when draft resolution S/2022/431, on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear and ballistic-missile programme, was vetoed at the Security Council last month (see S/PV.9048). Ukraine strongly condemns the recent intercontinental ballistic missile launch conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the series of other ballistic missile launches conducted by Pyongyang throughout 2022 in blatant violation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, which undermine international peace and security as well as the global non-proliferation regime. We urge the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to fully implement and respect all Security Council resolutions related to its weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and ballistic missile programmes by abandoning all nuclear and any other existing WMD and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. It is worth recalling that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea can never have the status of a nuclear-weapon State in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Therefore, Pyongyang must immediately return to compliance with the NPT and the comprehensive safeguards agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), including by signing and ratifying the additional protocol thereto, as well as the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. While we are discussing the nuclear and ballistic- missile threats stemming from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, we cannot but draw attention to Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine. From the beginning of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Russian troops have been attacking Ukrainian territory and its peaceful cities and villages with various types of conventional weapons, including cruise and ballistic missiles, which have already led to a terrible toll among civilians. On 3 March, the whole international community became aware of yet another example of Russia’s reckless behaviour when the Kremlin put its nuclear deterrent forces on high alert and started to threaten the international community with nuclear weapons. In addition, Russia’s armed forces attacked and seized Ukrainian nuclear power plants and other facilities. The constant missile attacks on Ukrainian territory by Russia, in particular in the direction of nuclear power plants, pose an unprecedented threat to nuclear security — in Ukraine, Europe and the whole world. Russia must strictly abide by the laws and customs of war, including those related to nuclear facilities. While the Chornobyl nuclear power plant has been liberated from the occupying forces, the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant, the largest in Europe, remains under Russia’s control. It is clear that the actions of the Russian troops and representatives of its energy companies at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant and in the temporarily occupied city of Enerhodar are nothing less than nuclear terrorism. There cannot be any justification for the obstacles created by the aggressor country to the joint efforts of Ukraine and the international community to deoccupy the station and restore its sustainable operation under the IAEA safeguards. In conclusion, the failure of the Security Council to adopt the draft resolution in response to the actions of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as well as other cases of the use of the veto in recent years by the permanent member to block different draft resolutions, including on Ukraine, while ongoing aggression and atrocity crimes were being committed, once again prove the need for a deep and comprehensive reform of the United Nations, in particular in the context of the veto right.

On 26 April, the General Assembly adopted resolution 76/262, on the so-called veto initiative, which enables States Members of the United Nations to discuss the issue in the framework of a formal meeting of the General Assembly if a veto was previously cast on the situation in the Security Council. This historic meeting is the first of its kind. Hungary aligns itself with the statement delivered by the representative of the European Union, in its capacity as observer (see A/76/PV.77). Nevertheless, I would like to express Hungary’s position on the repeated violations of international law and its international obligations by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Hungary is deeply concerned by the unprecedented number of missile tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea since the beginning of this year. That clear escalation and continued pursuit of illegal weapons systems, including launches of new types of weapons, is a violation of multiple Security Council resolutions and a serious threat to international and regional peace and security. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea must comply with the relevant Security Council resolutions by abandoning all its nuclear weapons, other weapons of mass destruction and ballistic-missile and nuclear- weapon programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner and immediately cease all related activities. Furthermore, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should refrain from any further action that could increase tensions in the region, as well as globally. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s blatant violations of international law divert resources from its own people’s needs, prevent its economic development and undermine the welfare of its people. Hungary urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to respect international law and obligations, abandon its nuclear- weapon and ballistic-missile programmes and resume dialogue with the relevant parties. In that regard, we support the diplomatic efforts of the Republic of Korea, the United States and regional partners aimed at preserving peace on the Korean peninsula and enhancing regional stability. The unity of the international community is now more critical than ever in that respect. Hungary supports the complete, irreversible and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and any meaningful diplomatic process to that end. Ahead of the tenth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Hungary urges the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to compliance with the NPT as a non-nuclear-weapon State and the comprehensive safeguards agreement of the International Atomic Energy Agency and to bring into force the additional protocol. At the same time, Hungary urges Pyongyang to sign and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

The delegation of the Republic of El Salvador is grateful to the President for convening this plenary meeting, held pursuant to the provisions of resolution 76/262, entitled “Standing mandate for a General Assembly debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council”. El Salvador believes that the convening of this debate as the first pursuant to that resolution is an expression of the General Assembly’s commitment to a strengthened and effective multilateralism. Moreover, in our view, it is also a step towards accountability and transparency in our Organization. In entrusting the Security Council with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international security, States Members of the United Nations recognize that the Council acts on our behalf in discharging its duties in accordance with that responsibility. We therefore welcome this discussion as a result of acknowledging the role that the General Assembly also plays in situations related to the maintenance of international peace and security, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. Moreover, El Salvador takes note of the special report of the Security Council (A/76/853, annex) prepared in accordance with paragraph 3 of resolution 76/262 and in accordance with Article 24 of our Organization’s Charter. As a State that champions disarmament and non-proliferation, El Salvador expresses its grave concern at the launches of medium- and long-range ballistic missiles, intercontinental ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, particularly the latest missile launches, carried out in May. My country believes that that portends a pattern whereby such tests are being increased, which unfortunately serves to escalate tensions on the Korean peninsula. That threatens regional and international peace and security. El Salvador believes that such tests and efforts aimed at improving or modernizing weapons of mass destruction and their systems of delivery for such weapons undermine international peace and security, while endangering human lives and posing a grave challenge to efforts to strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime established by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), whose next Review Conference will be held in the near future. Against that backdrop, El Salvador calls on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to comply with its international obligations, in accordance with Security Council resolutions, and to engage in a constructive dialogue in order to promote lasting peace on the Korean peninsula. Moreover, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea should pay due attention to alleviating the humanitarian impact caused by the coronavirus disease pandemic and, in cooperation with the international community, provide timely assistance to the most vulnerable people. Similarly, in line with what we have previously said in other related forums, we express our concern about reports of the malign use of information and communications technology by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, which runs counter to the framework for responsible State behaviour in cyberspace and its voluntary norms. We also call on all Member States to exercise due diligence to prevent their territories from being used for coordinating cyberattacks in violation of the sovereignty of States. We reiterate the applicability of international law in cyberspace. In conclusion, it is important to note that, as a State party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, El Salvador advocates that all States adhere to the Treaty’s proliferation control regime and the safeguards system of the International Atomic Energy Agency for the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In that regard, we call on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to return to compliance with the NPT and its control system as soon as possible.

As the counting of ballots has been completed for the election of members of the Economic and Social Council, I will now briefly suspend consideration of this item.

The result of the voting is as follows: Group A — African States (4 seats) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 1 Number of members present and voting: 191 Required two-thirds majority: 128 Number of votes obtained: Botswana 190 Cabo Verde 190 Cameroon 189 Equatorial Guinea 186 Group B — Asia and Pacific States (4 seats) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 0 Number of members present and voting: 192 Required two-thirds majority: 128 Number of votes obtained: Qatar 186 Lao People’s Democratic Republic 181 Republic of Korea 178 China 172 Group C — Eastern European States (3 seats) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 1 Number of members present and voting: 191 Required two-thirds majority: 128 Number of votes obtained: Slovenia 176 Slovakia 173 Russian Federation 118 North Macedonia 38 Republic of Moldova1 Group D — Latin American and Caribbean States (3 seats) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 4 Number of members present and voting: 188 Required two-thirds majority: 126 Number of votes obtained: Brazil 183 Costa Rica 182 Colombia 108 Group E  — Western European and other States (4 seats) Number of ballot papers: 192 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 192 Abstentions: 6 Number of members present and voting: 186 Required two-thirds majority: 124 Number of votes obtained: Greece 176 Sweden 175 Denmark 174 New Zealand 174

As only two candidates obtained the required two-thirds majority in the previous balloting, there remains one seat to be filled from among the Eastern European States. We shall therefore proceed to the first restricted ballot. In accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure, the second round of balloting shall be restricted to the two States from among the Eastern European States that were not elected but that obtained the largest number of votes in the previous round of unrestricted balloting, namely, North Macedonia and the Russian Federation. Before we begin the voting process, I should like to remind members that, pursuant to rule 88 of the rules of procedure of the General Assembly, no representative shall interrupt the voting except on a point of order on the actual conduct of the voting. I give the floor to the representative of North Macedonia on a point of order.

We are grateful to all the countries that voted in our favour and are considering North Macedonia as a candidate for membership in the Economic and Social Council. I have the honour to inform the Assembly that North Macedonia is ready to run in a second round of balloting for the remaining seat allocated to the Group of Eastern European States for membership in the Economic and Social Council for the 2023-2025 term. We call on all Member States to support North Macedonia in the next round of balloting.

We shall now begin the voting process. I request representatives to use only those ballot papers that have been distributed. Members are requested to put an X in the box next to the name printed on the ballot paper. The total number of checked boxes or handwritten names should not exceed the number of vacant seats to be filled as indicated on the ballot paper. A ballot will be declared invalid if it contains more names of Member States from the relevant region than the seats allocated to it. If a ballot paper contains any notations other than a vote in favour of an eligible Member State, those notations will be disregarded.

In the interest of time, the General Assembly will continue the plenary meeting to take up agenda item 124 while the ballots are being counted. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of sub-item (b) of agenda item 115.

The General Assembly will resume its consideration of agenda item 124, entitled “Strengthening of the United Nations system”, to continue the debate pursuant to resolution 76/262 of 26 April 2022 on the situation in which the veto was cast by the two permanent members at the 9048th meeting of the Security Council on 26 May 2022, under the agenda item entitled “Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea”.

Our debate today on this item marks the first time ever that the General Assembly is discussing a matter of international peace and security after the casting of a veto in the Security Council. It is our view that the issue at hand should be addressed with great care, while taking into account the particularities and concerns of the relevant States so as to facilitate the maintenance of regional and international security, as well as efforts to achieve comprehensive agreements among the related parties, and should also be conducive to the fulfilment of the functions and duties of the major organs of the United Nations, including the General Assembly and the Security Council. Viet Nam has consistently supported every effort in the area of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament aimed at the total elimination of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and international law. Over the years Viet Nam has therefore steadfastly supported the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions and the efforts to advance dialogue and negotiations among the relevant parties. To that end, ensuring peace, stability, cooperation and sustainable development on the peninsula should be our top priority. In that connection, we have followed the recent developments on the Korean peninsula closely and share the concerns about them. Viet Nam does not support any action that aggravates tensions in the region, harms regional and international peace and security or violates related Security Council resolutions. We call on all the parties to exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from action that could escalate tensions and instead resume negotiations in order to build on the hard-won achievements reached through dialogue in the past few years. All differences should be resolved through peaceful means, in line with international law. Furthermore, we firmly believe that a comprehensive and long-term solution for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula and other related issues should take into consideration the interests and concerns of all parties for the sake of lasting peace, stability and development in the region. In that respect, we are of the view that the efforts and initiatives of the international community should take into account the hardships caused by the natural disasters, the pandemic and other humanitarian issues that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has recently been facing with a view to protecting the livelihoods of its people. We call on international partners to continue providing assistance to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea so that it can overcome those difficulties, based on the country’s needs and requests. For its part, Viet Nam remains fully committed to implementing the obligations under the related Security Council resolutions. We stand ready to contribute constructively to all efforts to promote dialogue and negotiations between the relevant parties on this important matter.

We commend the President of the General Assembly for initiating this historic debate, in line with resolution 76/262. We also commend all the delegations that have taken and will take the rostrum. The cause of international peace and security belongs to every nation. None of us are safe from the scourge of war, particularly if it is a conflict that risks the use of weapons of mass destruction. On 26 May, the Security Council recorded negative votes by permanent members on draft resolution S/2022/431, regarding missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, launches that violated previous Security Council resolutions. As an elected member of the Council, Kenya voted for the adoption of that draft resolution. We did so based on our understanding that brazen breaches of binding resolutions fatally undermine effective multilateralism, which the world so desperately needs. The negative votes meant that the Council failed to send a clear message that those missile launches were unacceptable. In the vacuum created by the Council’s paralysis, the situation is tending to a dangerous arms race, and if it is left to fester, a potential accident caused by tense military forces could lead to a catastrophic war on the Korean peninsula. This past weekend, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea launched eight more missiles, using ballistic technology. The lack of diplomatic negotiations to resolve the outstanding disagreements in this area only increases tensions and invites disaster. The Security Council should not remain immobilized when the risks to the world are so clear and present. The conflict in Ukraine and its impact on all our economies and peoples are evidence enough that the fates of all 193 members of the General Assembly are deeply connected. It has added to the effects of climate change and the coronavirus disease pandemic, driving many millions into even deeper poverty. Everything must be done to prevent a war from breaking out on the Korean peninsula. Added to the multiple crises we are dealing with, it could push the world into a major economic depression, which would lead to large-scale suffering and death, particularly in developing countries. The General Assembly does not have power under the Charter of the United Nations to compel States to act. For that reason, there are reasonable voices that question the utility of our debate today. However, we believe that the moral force of humankind’s aversion to war and the threat of it is the fundamental underpinning of effective multilateralism. It is our right and obligation to give voice to that human yearning. We therefore call on the Security Council to act on its responsibilities and obligations to protect our shared peace. Should there be further missile launches or other actions that breach nuclear non-proliferation, the Council should take strong action. If it does not, global opinion, shaped in no small part by a General Assembly determined to make its voice heard, will add impetus to the appetite for fundamental reform. For now, we are glad to note that today’s debate furthers Africa’s Ezulwini Consensus, which seeks to improve on the balance of the respective purviews of the General Assembly and the Security Council. We believe that negative votes cast by permanent members of the Security Council, followed by a debate pursuant to resolution 76/262, will increase the urgency that delegations show in seeking Security Council reform. I conclude by urging the parties on the Korean peninsula to take all necessary measures to settle the unfolding situation by peaceful means.

Today’s debate deals with one of the most dangerous and persistent challenges the world has faced and the most pressing security challenge facing the State of Israel — the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Preventing extremist authoritarian regimes, as well as murderous terrorist groups, from developing or acquiring such weapons must remain at the top of the Security Council’s agenda. In that regard, Israel condemns in the strongest terms North Korea’s repeated ballistic-missile launches, as well as its continuing development of a nuclear programme. We support Security Council resolution 1718 (2006) and the related subsequent resolution 2397 (2017) and call for the country’s complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization. The threat stemming from North Korea’s development of ballistic and nuclear programmes is twofold — first, the threat of a rogue State’s possession of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and secondly of their proliferation to other rogue States and non-State actors. In fact, we have witnessed repeated attempts by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to proliferate weapons of mass destruction, such as its aid to Syria in 2006 to develop a reactor in Deir ez-Zor for the production of weapons- grade plutonium. More recently, and even more alarmingly, the ongoing relationship between North Korea and the Iranian Ayatollah regime poses a critical threat to the security not only of Israel but the entire Middle East and the rest of the world. That dangerous relationship has been documented by numerous sources, including successive reports by the Panel of Experts of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1718 (2006). North Korea consistently helps Iran to bolster its murderous ballistic and nuclear programme. That deadly alliance between two rogue regimes is a clear violation of Security Council resolutions and a grave threat to international peace and security, and it must be stopped today. The Security Council must speak in one united voice about the alarming and dangerous issue of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and Israel calls for the full implementation of the existing sanctions on North Korea with a view to ending its unlawful programmes for ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. The Security Council should also remain vigilant about the Iranian regime’s malign activities in violation of multiple Security Council resolutions, such as resolution 2231 (2015), which adversely affect regional and international peace and security. As we all witnessed just this week, the true face of Iran’s nuclear deception has been laid bare. Following the resolution adopted by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency condemning Iran, the Ayatollah regime proceeded to remove 27 cameras from its nuclear facilities, leaving the international community in the dark, while continuing to run centrifuges at full capacity. The production and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction by rogue regimes, whether in North Korea, Iran or anywhere else, must end. This institution was founded on the premise of preventing genocide, and if it cannot prevent genocidal regimes from acquiring weapons whose sole purpose is to create devastation, we really must ask ourselves whether the United Nations can uphold its most basic mandate. This must end now.

Our participation in today’s historic event, the first of its kind since the establishment of the United Nations, reflects our support of resolution 76/262, which Libya co-sponsored in April. It seeks to restrict the use of the veto depending on the situation in which a veto is cast by any permanent member of the Security Council. We want to once again underscore that what we are seeking today through the implementation of resolution 76/262 is to highlight the importance of avoiding the use of the veto and calling on the five permanent members of the Security Council to assume their responsibility in that regard before the international community. If they use the veto, they must be able to justify it. The right to cast a veto was granted more than 76 years ago. At the time, the world was very different. Since then we have seen many peoples around the world experience injustice because of the use of the veto, particularly the historical injustice that it has helped to inflict on Africa. We believe that comprehensive reform is important in that regard and that Africa should be fairly represented within the Council, as outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration. We are participating in today’s debate, along with many other countries around the world, because we want to promote multilateralism and express our views on these kinds of issues. In the same context, we should also underscore that based on our commitment to restricting the use of the veto, we call on the members of the Security Council, in particular the five permanent members, to work together seriously to reach consensus on issues before the Council before they are put to a vote, especially when there is every likelihood of failure. With regard to the topic under consideration today, we maintain our previous positions, which are in line with the positions of the Group of Arab States. We support the United Nations machinery for disarmament and non-proliferation. Any testing of weapons or provocations that undermine regional and international peace and security must stop. We urge everyone to refrain from adopting double standards, because we will be able to achieve international peace and security only when we rid ourselves of arms such as nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction everywhere in the world, without exception. We must avoid selectivity on the issue, and that applies particularly to the Middle East, which should be a zone totally free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. We all bear a collective responsibility to rid humankind of those weapons in an irreversible manner and under international verification and supervision. The huge physical and human resources that are dedicated to those inhumane weapons should be used for achieving development and prosperity. We want to see the Conference on Disarmament revived and its ongoing stalemate ended. It is the only forum for negotiations in the context of the United Nations disarmament machinery, especially considering the current complex international security situation. We must immediately start negotiations to ensure that nuclear-weapon States are committed to providing non-nuclear-weapon States with unconditional security safeguards. Ensuring disarmament of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction must remain a top priority for the United Nations, and that applies both to States that publicly announce their possession of nuclear weapons and those that have not yet done so. They are the only weapons that have existential consequences for the world. In conclusion, we call on the members of the Security Council, particularly the five permanent members, to take positive account of our debate today and return to the negotiating table, while working to reach a consensus on ending the significant, growing and unprecedented divisions that we have seen recently. The Security Council has become like a political wrestling ring. People all over the world are in despair and have lost confidence in the entire United Nations system. It is no surprise that they feel these injustices and long to see radical and comprehensive reform of the Security Council. Simply put, many view the Security Council as having been transformed from a guarantor of international peace and security to a source that directly threatens both peace and security.

We have heard the last speaker in the debate for this meeting. We shall hear the remaining speakers this afternoon. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 124.

The result of the voting is as follows: Eastern European States (1 seat) Number of ballot papers: 181 Number of invalid ballots: 0 Number of valid ballots: 181 Abstentions: 4 Number of members present and voting: 177 Required two-thirds majority: 118 Number of votes obtained: Russian Federation: 100 North Macedonia: 77

As no candidate has received the required two-thirds majority in the restricted ballot, there remains one seat to be filled from among the Eastern European States. We shall therefore proceed to a series of balloting in accordance with rule 94 of the rules of procedure. Given the lateness of the hour, the next round of balloting will take place at 3 p.m. sharp this afternoon. The General Assembly has thus concluded this stage of its consideration of agenda item 115.