YouSaid · the spoken record

Alexander Schallenberg

lines on the record: 63
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
sources: un-general-debate

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“All of that is difficult and requires endurance, strategic patience, a lot of explaining and a healthy dose of realism, but if we succeed, all of us will be better off. We will emerge from this era of transformation stronger, more prosperous and more resilient.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I clearly reject the notion of being “either with us or against us”, the idea of cancelling entire societies and cultures and reverting to moralizing, finger-pointing or self-righteousness. That is a lesson that we Europeans also have to learn, and quickly. Let us not kid ourselves: the world is simply not black and white. It is simply not that easy. To me. that would not be responsible statecraft. It might play well with the social media bubble, but it does not reflect reality. It will only strengthen the fringes of our societies, not the centre. That is why Austria will continue to be a champion of sensible and pragmatic multilateralism as we adapt, innovate and recalibrate our international cooperation.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Therefore, today I would like us all to remember why this Hall was built in the first place — as a space for real dialogue, not an echo chamber or a club for like-minded countries, a place where we advocate for our principles and values, without denying other points of view. Yes. it is where we have heated debates and difficult negotiations, but in the end. it is where we can always reach a compromise. Let me be very clear: I am not championing nihilism nor moral reductionism. We know exactly where we stand. Austria will always speak out for the values and principles that we hold dear, proudly and resolutely. I am deeply convinced that our societies based on freedom, pluralism and individual rights are the best guarantee for our citizens’ security and prosperity. At the same time.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“That is why we are deeply invested in our partnerships with our friends and neighbours in Europe and within the European Union, with organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, with our strategic partners around the globe and with engaged civil society organizations and the private sector. We have also increased our outreach to the Asia-Pacific region, and we are engaging with African partners, very importantly, in the spirit of mutual respect and common interests. In the beginning. I said that we should look at the world as it is. The bitter truth is that we are more divided than ever. All too often, even in this Hall, we talk at. rather than with, each other. We speak instead of listening.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Today Austria is a successful and flourishing country, with a high degree of social stability, economic prosperity and environmental protection. It capital city. Vienna, has been voted again and again as the world’s most liveable city. I believe that there is a message there for those countries and leaders who want to turn back the clock and who abuse history as a pretext to justify their violence today. They are on the wrong track. We cannot build a future while being stuck in the past. We Austrians have learned from our history. It is precisely those experiences of the past that make us care so strongly about multilateralism. There is simply no better alternative for safeguarding our prosperity and security and for tackling global challenges.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It has made little impact in places like Afghanistan, where women are systematically denied their most basic rights to education and to participate in public life, and in the Sahel region, where a series of coups d’etat serve only the generals, not the citizens. It has not been able to stop Russia, one of the Council’s five permanent members, from invading its sovereign neighbour Ukraine in a fit of neo-imperialist aggression. What I am talking about is enlightened self-interest. I stand here today as a representative of a smaller country with a great history. After the First World War. my country shrank from an empire with over 50 million inhabitants to a State of fewer than 10 million people today and a fraction of its former territory. Yet where do we stand today in Austria?”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The answer is simple and sobering: no. it cannot, and it will not. We need to reform it in order to preserve it. Because what we are seeing, and what I am hearing loudly in this very Hall, is that the rules-based international order is not inclusive enough. The Security Council no longer reflects today’s world. It needs to offer a seat to more of the countries left out at the time of its establishment, including from Africa. I can assure members that Austria will continue to push for reform, including in our candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Council in 2026. The multilateral system is not proactive or effective enough.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I believe that no one in this Hall can deny that the rules-based international order — with all its imperfections. I agree — has served us all pretty well over the past eight decades: through a free and open global economy; through preventive diplomacy and peacekeeping, which have brought stability to our neighbourhoods, an effort which Austrian Blue Helmets have been supporting since 1960; through a web of international treaties and agreements addressing such diverse issues as disarmament and climate change; and through a system of human rights established 75 years ago in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and confirmed 30 years ago in the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. However, we must ask ourselves honestly: is the multilateral system still fit for purpose? Can it last for another 80 years?”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“when Russia brutally invaded Ukraine. For a country like Austria — militarily neutral, export-oriented and at the heart of the European continent — the answer clearly lies in cooperation. We understand that, in order to deliver for our own citizens — to make their lives more secure, create economic opportunities and tackle global challenges — we need to work in partnership with others. That is why we are so deeply invested in multilateralism. It is part of Austria’s ONA. in fact — not least because Vienna is the proud home of one of the United Nations headquarters and over 50 international organizations. We know that the rules-based international order is our only protective shield against a world where might makes right and where unilateralism and the use of force rule. Frankly.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It also means that we have to be on our guard against those polarizing populists who spread fake news and offer seemingly easy answers to complex questions, who want us to believe that we can solve problems by simply negating them, by pulling up the drawbridge and decoupling from reality, be it on climate change, disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, mutual political and economic dependencies or the growing multipolarity in geopolitics. We cannot close our eyes to the complex realities of our modern world. There are simply no silver bullets or quick fixes. That would be another and very dangerous form of wishful thinking. After all. we should know — and especially. I would claim, in Europe — that wishful thinking is never a solid basis for policy. That was painfully proven to us on 24 February 2022.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Sometimes I compare our current situation to an earthquake: the entire Earth is still shaking, the tectonic plates are still moving, and we do not know yet where they will come to rest. But we instinctively feel that the fault lines will be deeper and wider in the end. We are already seeing shifts and cracks in our trade systems, security systems and multilateral systems — no wonder that has led to a sense of insecurity and unease and to the feeling of living in a permanent state of emergency. In this era of transformation, our citizens are rightly expecting answers. I deeply believe that, as politicians, it is our responsibility to formulate hopeful yet realistic visions. That means we must look at the world as it is. lucid and clear-headed, without rose-tinted glasses.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We are meeting in this Hall today at a time that is undeniably one of the most challenging in recent history. One look at the news, and we see the highest number of violent conflicts since the Second World War. including a full-scale war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, an intensifying global climate crisis with extreme weather events causing devastation around the world, rising poverty, social divisions and a backsliding of human rights and development gains that were hard-earned over the past decades. The world seems to be in a sad state of affairs, and one wonders whether the worst is yet to come. We are indeed living in a time of uncertainty — in a time between times, so to speak. The old order is fading and a new one is yet to emerge.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I want my children and grandchildren to be able to grow up in a world where rules are applied and respected; where they can live their lives in freedom and without fear; and where might does not make right. Yesterday’s speech by President Vladimir Putin of Russia made it obvious that this conflict will not be over very soon. But let us not give in to fear, self-doubt or defeatism. Let us be steadfast. Let us stand ready to defend our values — the values of the United Nations.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I am not saying that the system is perfect — far from it — but at least it is a system in which we are striving to create a world where the rights of all people and the sovereignty of every nation are respected and peace, sustainability and social justice are possible. Obviously, these times are heydays for doomsayers. Yet I remain confident that we can and will prevail. Why, one might ask? It is because I deeply believe that our societies based on freedom, pluralism and individual rights are remarkably resilient and have proven so during the pandemic — not despite, but because of our vibrant political debates, opposing opinions, critical media and civil society. They are the key reasons and ingredients that we continue to innovate, adapt and learn from our mistakes to rise in the face of adversity.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Effective multilateralism and respect for the rule of law have been at the core of Austria’s foreign policy for decades, as symbolized by the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna and our willingness to take on even more responsibility as a candidate in the 2026 elections for a non-permanent member seat on the Security Council. We count on State Members’ support. Constructive dialogue and pragmatic diplomacy will continue to be our guide. It is what Austria as an open and democratic society simply stands for. I truly believe that we are facing the most challenging time of our political generation. Our actions today will shape the future of our international system, which rose out of the ashes of the two horrible World Wars and the end of the Cold War.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Civilians need to be protected, whether in Mariupol or in the villages of Yemen. Fundamental freedoms and human rights, especially the rights of women and girls, must be respected, whether in Crimea or in Kabul. Using hunger as a weapon is simply unacceptable, whether by blocking shipments out of Odesa or by preventing humanitarian aid from reaching the province of Tigray. There needs to be accountability for war crimes, whether they happen in Bucha or Aleppo. I am proud that Vienna is host to the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. We, the Austrians, will continue to actively support the efforts by the International Criminal Court to shed light on the savage acts committed in Ukraine.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“But we all know in this Hall that no Government alone can shoulder those challenges. We desperately need a functioning multilateral system. We need a rules- based international order with the United Nations at its core. Our security depends on States respecting one another’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Our political stability rests on the principle of pacta sunt servanda. And our economic prosperity requires functioning export markets and secure supply lines. The war in Ukraine is not a conflict of East versus West or North versus South. The dividing line runs clearly between the rule of law and the law of the jungle. International law is valid for everyone, no matter the geographical, religious or ethnic context. There is no such thing as first-class or second-class international law.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We are living in an era of transformation, with the COVID-19 pandemic, global food and energy shortages, the soaring rise in the cost of living, rapid technological change, climate change and the prospect of a very bumpy road ahead of us as far as the world economy is concerned. Those are indeed scary perspectives. It is no wonder that our citizens feel anxious and insecure. A storm is brewing that will seriously affect millions of people, especially the most vulnerable. That is a recipe for disaster, potentially leading to mass migration and social and political tensions. We rapidly have to take countermeasures, not only nationally but in global solidarity. This year, Austria is spending more on development assistance and humanitarian aid than ever before, and next year we will increase our respective budgets even more.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Some try to spread the narrative that the triple crisis of food, energy and financing is somehow connected to the sanctions imposed by the European Union on the Russian Federation. That is simply wrong. To put it very clearly, there are no sanctions whatsoever on the exports of grain, oilseeds, other foodstuffs, fertilizers or gas to third countries. Instead, it is actually the Russian Federation that is cynically using food and energy as a weapon, pushing millions of vulnerable people around the world into poverty, hunger and debt. According to the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance, the triple crisis involving the latter is now affecting 1.7 billion people around the planet. Not even the Soviet Union went that far.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“If we continue to abide by such decisions, we will be forced to accept the fundamental concept of our enemies, namely, that, ‘Might makes right’”. Those words have not lost their truth or validity. Are we really incapable of learning from history? We are once again facing a country that is attempting to settle its neo-imperialistic score by using bombs and bayonets, targeting civilians and committing atrocities that may amount to war crimes under international humanitarian law. And those bombs and bayonets are not only targeting Ukrainians. They are also targeting the world’s most vulnerable countries, pushing them into a triple crisis of food, energy and financing shortages. Let me be very clear here: We should not confuse cause and effect. We have to place responsibility firmly where it belongs.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“All of a sudden, we find ourselves in a world in which the rule of law risks being replaced by the law of the jungle. Honestly, such a world poses a fundamental threat to us all, especially to smaller countries, such as Austria — countries that rely on international law as their shield and their protective cloak against unilateralism and the use of force. I firmly believe that the ideas and principles laid down in the Charter are as valid today as they were 77 years ago, when, in 1945, in his address to the San Francisco Conference, former United States President Harry Truman said, “We can no longer permit any nation, or group of nations, to attempt to settle their arguments with bombs and bayonets.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In fact, it is an assault against the rules-based international order, which we all established together over the past decades. It is a flagrant and deliberate breach of the founding Charter of this very Organization — our United Nations. In the Charter, every single State in this Hall has committed to settle international disputes by peaceful means and to refrain from the threat of use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State. What is worse is that this breach has been committed not by any State, but by a permanent member of the Security Council — the very organ responsible for upholding the Charter and ensuring international peace and security. That puts into question the very foundations of our security and stability.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“And we trusted that we had learned our lessons after the two horrific World Wars, half a century of the Cold War and the Iron Curtain dividing our continent. Looking back, we have to admit that we were perhaps delusional, naive and, yes, maybe even foolish. Indeed, our holiday from history is over. Many in this Hall might now think: Why do Europeans make such noise and a fuss over it? They might point to the fact that war and military conflict are an everyday reality in many parts of the planet. They might even accuse us of applying double standards and contend that we only react so strongly to Russia’s invasion because of geographic and cultural proximity, or because the Ukrainians look like us. I firmly reject such a narrative. Let me be very clear: this is a war in Europe, but it is not a European war.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is using explicit nuclear blackmail and fake referendums in clear violation of international law. Its war of aggression against Ukraine has destroyed many illusions — the illusion that the security architecture that we created after the fall of the Iron Curtain would continue to pay a peace dividend, guaranteeing stability and security; that the European peace project would prevent war on our continent; and that crises and tensions can and would ultimately be solved by peaceful means, through dialogue and diplomacy. Russia’s attack was like a geopolitical ice bucket thrown at our face, brutally tearing us from our daydreams of a post-historical and post-national Europe. Deep within us, we clung to the belief that Francis Fukuyama might still be right with his The End of History, at least as far as Europe was concerned.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“When we met in this Hall last year, I was cautiously optimistic that the world would slowly but surely find its footing after the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. My call then was to look forward and focus on strengthening our resilience and preserving our hard-earned development goals (see A/76/PV.11). Little did we know then that only one year later we would find ourselves in a very different world, facing another crisis with tremendous global consequences that reach beyond the pandemic. On 24 February, war returned to Europe when Russia brutally attacked Ukraine, an independent and sovereign country. Russia is trying to redraw borders using tanks and rockets — something that the world has not seen since Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It reminded me of something Winston Churchill once said: “All the greatest things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word”. So, as we face the challenges ahead, here are some of the words I would wish to guide us in our work: tolerance, trust, solidarity, truth, justice, compassion, humility and hope.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Austria therefore strongly supports the vision of the Secretary-General for a United Nations 2.0. Our multilateral system, conceived in the twentieth century, needs to be made fit for the twenty-first century. Let us not get dragged down by bureaucratic inertia. Let us be bold and daring. As a medium-sized country, Austria knows the value of a strong United Nations. We know that our own security depends on the rule of law and not the law of the jungle. The rule of law will be at the centre of our efforts when elected to the Security Council for the term 2027-2028. When I met with the President of the General Assembly in Vienna recently, he told me that the guiding light of his presidency is hope. I believe no maxim could be more fitting for our times.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Together with partner countries and civil society, we hope to establish a process leading to a ban on killer robots. Further, Austria will continue to be a driving force for disarmament and arms control. We cannot increase our security by increasing our potential to destroy, and, most importantly of all, by hanging on to the myth of nuclear deterrence. We need to eliminate these horrendous weapons of mass destruction. Their prohibition is a first step, and we in Austria look forward to hosting the first Meeting of States Parties to the Treaty Prohibiting Nuclear Weapons in Vienna next March. No nation State can shoulder today’s and tomorrow’s challenges on its own. We need neighbours, we need partners, we need strong multilateral institutions.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Austria will continue to be at the vanguard, when it comes to ambitious and bold green recovery and climate action. And there are other tectonic shifts that will fundamentally alter the way we live. New and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing are racing ahead, leaving many of us behind. We have to make sure that our human-centric approach applies online and offline. New technologies are not a new frontier where human rights do not exist. We need to define clear red lines that we as humankind are not willing or ready to cross. This includes stepping back from creating killing machines — lethal autonomous weapons systems — where an algorithm decides in a split second who lives and who dies. Last week, Austria organized a conference to ensure meaningful human control over these weapons.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I want to live in a world — and I want my children and my future grandchildren to grow up in a world — where the freedoms of expression, religion or belief, the freedom of assembly and the rights of minorities are not just noble sentiments, but an everyday reality. The pandemic has brought home to us the simple truth of how interconnected and interdependent we all are. We have learned the hard way that we cannot overcome a challenge like this one on our own. Despite forcing us into social distancing, the pandemic brought us closer as a human family. Let us use this lesson to tackle the next crisis that is actually already upon us. Compared to the COVID-19 pandemic, which burst into our lives like an explosion, this one is like a slow-burning, smouldering fire, creeping up on us. I am obviously talking about climate change.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is true that Afghanistan holds many bitter lessons that we need to take to heart, but from my perspective one thing is crystal clear: we should not fall into defeatism, self-doubt or despair. Our answer cannot lie in a cynical and inward turning away from our partners and allies. The days of a moral gunboat policy may be over, but the values that the free world fought and stood for in Afghanistan and for which we stand and fight for in so many other places around the globe continue to be the right ones. They were and are the ones that give individuals freedom and the capacity to live up to their potential: rationalism, rule of law, equality, human rights and liberal democracy. In the end, it boils down to one question: how do we want to live? As a strong believer in the democratic system, my answer is clear and simple.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Fundamental rights and freedoms, in particular for women and girls, are simply non-negotiable. We have to do everything to prevent Afghanistan from turning into a black hole with the capacity to destabilize the whole region, and we have to drive home the message to the Taliban that the world’s eyes are on them. We do not want Afghanistan to turn into an incubator or a safe haven for international terrorism and extremism That requires a coordinated international effort and coordinated messaging. I strongly believe that Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours, in particular, and other Muslim countries can and should play a central role in this endeavour. Some gleefully describe Afghanistan as a failure of the so-called West, as proof of the inevitable decline of our democratic system of governance or a breakdown of our values.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It seems that much of the social, political and economic progress is slipping through our fingers like sand. We are all faced with the same question: what shall we do now? From my perspective, the answer is clear: we cannot turn our back on the people of Afghanistan. The consequences would be felt immediately, above all by the millions of women and girls, human rights defenders and minorities who face an uncertain future. We have to remain engaged, and we have to offer urgently needed humanitarian aid. That is why Austria will provide a total of €20 million in humanitarian emergency aid to Afghanistan and the region. But we also have to spell out very clearly our expectations of the new ruling Power in Kabul. There can be no blank checks for the Taliban.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“A ring of crises and conflicts spans the globe: in Yemen and Syria, where many children have known nothing but conflict and deprivation; in Ethiopia and Nagorno-Karabakh, where long-standing fault lines have erupted; or in Belarus, Myanmar or Nicaragua, where some have used the pandemic as a carte blanche to ignore human rights and fundamental freedoms. We have to send to all of them a very clear message that our fight for human rights and our engagement for fundamental freedoms know no lockdown. This fight — this engagement — was never an easy or straightforward task. It is a continuous battle marked by progress, but also by bitter setbacks. How demanding and problematic this struggle can be became clear again in Afghanistan. After 20 years of engagement, it seems that we are now back at square one.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We were the first country providing our neighbourhood, the Western Balkans, with much-needed doses through the European Union Vaccine Sharing Mechanism. Austria also donated over 2 million doses bilaterally to our partners from Georgia, Lebanon, Tunisia, Ukraine and Iran. And as host to the United Nations Headquarters in Vienna, we spared no effort in keeping United Nations personnel and their families safe, including through vaccination. However, an enormous task still lies ahead of us. We have to massively accelerate international vaccine distribution. It is perfectly clear, and we all know it: in this pandemic no one is safe until everyone is safe. The coronavirus disease COVID-19 added fuel to the fire of existing geopolitical tensions.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Some 124 million people went from being poor to needing to fight for their very survival, while millions more do not even know where their next meal will come from. Over 250 million people lost their jobs and are without a paycheck to support their families. In the blink of an eye, we lost decades of hard-earned development gains, and we will lose even more if we cannot ensure that everyone has access to the vaccine as soon as possible. This is our only exit ticket out of the pandemic. That is why the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX) Facility is probably one of the most important initiatives of our time. It has so far shipped over 300 million vaccine doses to 142 countries. As part of Team Europe, Austria is among the lead contributors to the COVAX facility.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“It is good to be back in New York. It is good to be back in this Hall. Flying here to attend the opening of a new session of the General Assembly once seemed like a routine undertaking, but this past year has made it something very special again: a sign that things are finally moving in the right direction. We all know that the pandemic is not yet in our rear-view mirror, but the world is slowly finding its footing, one vaccination at a time. And yet, we already know that some things have fundamentally changed. The virus has brutally exposed our fragility — the fragility of our social fabric, of our health systems, of our economies and of our lives. The virus destroyed our illusion that human progress is a one-way street.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We, the “people of the United Nations” need each other — and we need a strong and functioning multilateral system. Today and in the next 75 years to come. Thank you for your attention!”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Developing a vaccine should not become a new race to the moon. I am encouraged by initiatives like the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator and its COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility. And I greatly value the indispensable role of the World Health Organisation. Ladies and Gentlemen, The pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of our societies and the fragility of humankind. And we all know that the next global disaster is lurking just around the corner, waiting to hit us. Be it climate change, nuclear disasters or cyber crime. Our success or failure in taking decisions here at the United Nations does not take place in a vacuum. It reaches deep into our societies and the everyday lives of our citizens. This global crisis has brought home to us one clear lesson: We will succeed or fail together.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“And even the toughest my-state first unilateralists looked for international cooperation to secure medical supplies and assistance to overcome the social and economic crisis. So, why don’t we use this pandemic as a game-changer and simply do away with the unnecessary dispute between multilateralists and unilateralists? Let’s change that game, set and match! A testing ground for this new approach could be the cooperation on COVID-19 prevention and effective treatment. Newly developed vaccines must be a global public good, accessible to all at a reasonable price! Yes, as politicians, it is our duty to protect our own citizens. But, the virus does not distinguish between unilateralists and multilateralists. With COVID-19 no one is safe, until everyone is safe. We, therefore, have to avoid all forms of “vaccine nationalism”.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“President, Austria joined the United Nations 65 years ago, and in November 1956, in the first speech delivered on behalf of my country, Foreign Minister Leopold Figl said: “Today the world looks to this community of nations, in which all its hopes are placed. Will it justify the confidence of the peoples of the earth and assure and preserve peace and order, bread and work?” In order to justify this confidence placed in us, it is not enough to meet once a year and lament the crisis of multilateralism. And it is not enough to pay lip-service to international cooperation and the need to implement rules. Let’s be honest: When the virus struck, even the most ardent multilateralists focused on keeping their public safe, closing borders, hoarding masks and equipment.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“¥ The Eastern Mediterranean has seen a sharp increase in tensions due to illegal activity by Turkey that could destabilize the whole region. ¥ And in Belarus, the leadership has to finally accept that the genie of change is out of the bottle and cannot be forced back. We all need to stay alert and not let the headline-grabbing virus distract us. No one should believe that our focus on fighting COVID-19 constitutes a “carte blanche” for breaching international law or for a military adventure. However, there were also rare positive signs coming from a region usually lacking in good news. Austria very much welcomes the announcement of normalisation of relations between Israel and the Emirates and Bahrain. We hope these relations will flourish and serve as examples to other countries. Mr.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Ladies and Gentlemen, While the fight against COVID-19 has overshadowed everything else, the conflicts and crises around the world have not simply disappeared. Wars and humanitarian crises are not afraid of a virus! On the contrary, many of them were even aggravated by the pandemic. We must ensure that these crises are not obscured by the shadows of COVID-19. ¥ Yemen is still ravaged by the worst humanitarian crisis of our time. ¥ Libya still suffers under a protracted conflict and the manifest disregard for the UN arms embargo. ¥ The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran hangs by a thread, which has led to a spiral of toughening positions. Furthermore, new crises have been unfolding in the midst of the pandemic. ¥ Lebanon continues on a dangerous downward slide.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We have to act now, before the survival of civilians in a conflict zone is determined by an algorithm and before all constraints laid down in international humanitarian law become redundant and decisions are taken by killer-robots without any human control or ethical concerns. Austria will organize an international conference in Vienna next year to address this urgent issue. COVID-19 permitting, I invite all of you to participate! Our call for a new digital humanism needs one further reflection: Today is the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. My speech would not be complete without a strong appeal to get rid of these weapons once and for all. They pose an existential threat to life on this planet and cause tremendous human suffering.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Instinctively, they reject the advances in technology in the medical field, science, communication and business. Technological progress has jumped ahead, but it has left parts of the population behind. This growing tension between new technologies and society is a challenge for politics on the national as well as on the international level. New technologies seem partially to overburden our societies. Buzzwords such as human downgrading, cyber crime, trade in data and protection of personal data and privacy come to mind. This list would, however, be incomplete without a warning of autonomous weapons systems — machines with the power to decide, who lives and who dies. This is not science fiction, it is fast becoming a reality — a reality that the Secretary- General has rightly called both “politically unacceptable and morally repugnant”.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said “the warning lights are flashing”. And indeed: Geopolitical trends that were present before the pandemic have gained further momentum: ¥ Re-emerging nationalism, protectionism and populism, ¥ decreasing trust in the international system and ¥ increasing dissemination of misinformation and “alternative facts”. The pandemic has proven again that false information can spread faster than the virus. It travels at the speed of thought. At a time when evidenced based decisionmaking is crucial, we witness an erosion of trust in experts, science and technology. What is more: An increasing number of people see the pandemic as a clear indication that the world as a whole is developing in the wrong direction.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“¥ Instead of enjoying the liberty of freely moving between continents and within Europe, the pandemic forces us to grapple with travel restrictions. And we have seen only the tip of the iceberg of the pandemic’s social and economic impact. A lot of the progress on reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, which has been achieved over the past decades is endangered today. ¥ Nearly 24 million children and young people will drop out or not have access to school next year due to the pandemic. ¥ COVID-19 has triggered the most severe recession in almost a century. We see record negative numbers in economic growth, unemployment and inequality. And in international relations, the pandemic fuels the fire of existing geopolitical conflicts, while casting a shadow onto other security threats.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“It affects everyone, everywhere at the same time. The pandemic changes the way we live and the way we work. Just look at this General Debate. I would have preferred to speak to you in the General Assembly Hall instead of from Austria. But at least I have the honour to address you today from the UN headquarter in Vienna. And I would have preferred to meet personally with colleagues from around the world rather than via video or telephone. The pandemic deprives us of one of the most essential tools of international relations: enriching personal encounters amongst colleagues. Thus, we have to undertake even more efforts to keep the lines of communication open! Mr President, COVID-19 has taught us the hard way that much we take for granted is more vulnerable than we believe.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“But overall — if we compare today’s standards with those 75 years ago, for example on children’s education, women’s rights, child mortality, access to clean drinking water or extreme poverty and hunger, the UN can really be proud of its achievements. However, we continue to face numerous threats, some of which would have been familiar to those meeting in 1945: ¥ dozens of armed conflicts, ¥ nearly 80 million forcibly displaced persons, as well as ¥ terrorism, political repression and extreme poverty. There are also new and emerging threats: ¥ Cyber warfare and the risk of failing technological governance, ¥ bioterrorism, ¥ new geopolitical tensions due to an increasingly polycentric global system ¥ and climate change as the potential future super-crisis. At present, one threat, however, towers over all of them: the spread of COVID-19.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Since joining the UN in 1955 Austria is proud and honoured to contribute in all these areas. Whether in 60 years of Peacekeeping, or as a member — and current president — of the Human Rights Council. Austria will continue to do its part and is ready assume further responsibilities. For this particular reason, we are a candidate for the UN Security Council 2027-2028 and hope for your support. Ladies and Gentlemen! As any organization, the UN is not free of faults. The United Nations are often side-lined from solving conflicts. And the Security Council all too often fails to achieve consensus on how to bring peace to the world’s worst crises.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)