YouSaid · the spoken record

Toomas Hendrik Ilves

lines on the record: 176
first: 1999-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
sittings or episodes: 13
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

“That is an essential conclusion, incidentally, of the World Bank’s World Development Report 2016, entitled “Digital Dividends”, whose preparation I co-chaired. Information technology can lead to transparent governance and economic growth but only if it is open and unfettered. The challenges we face in the coming years are enormous. Estonia firmly believes in a rules-based international order. The only international organization global enough to achieve that end is the United Nations. Finally, let me say that the 10 times I have appeared here over the past decade have been genuinely rewarding experiences, and I trust that my successor will continue to believe in the work that the Assembly does. I would like to thank the members for their attention and for all that they have given me.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As a founder of the Freedom Online Coalition, Estonia is a donor to the Digital Defenders Partnership, contributing to the protection of the rights of journalists, bloggers and human-rights defenders online. In times of rapid developments in information and communications technology, the protection of human rights and the rule of law must keep pace. The right to freedom of expression also means keeping the Internet free and unrestricted. In other words, digital freedom of expression in no way differs from freedom of expression in the analog world. Censorship, illicit filtering and the online blocking of opposition voices thwarts democracy no less than when the printed word is censored. An open Internet is an amplifier of economic growth and thus a crucial element of sustainable development in the twenty-first century.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Free media is an integral, even inseparable, part of modern and democratic society, where Governments listen to criticism, which, after all, forms part of what we call the voice of the people. Yet all around the globe, we see that critical voices — and even those that merely report the facts — face reprisals, jail and violence. The United Nations Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity must be implemented if we are to change the absurdity that reporting facts is a life-threatening activity. For Estonia, a leader of innovation in the digital world, the right to freedom of opinion and expression online and offline is a fundamental issue. Digital technology has been a liberating force, yet some would turn it into a means to control citizens.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Taking that commitment seriously, Estonia was among the first countries to present our voluntary national review on the implementation of SDGs during the High-level Political Forum. Estonia attaches great importance to the Goal of achieving gender equality that can unlock the economic potential of women. More equal societies work better for everyone. Achieving gender equality is first and foremost the duty of political leaders and the Governments that they lead. Amid current conflicts, it is important to ensure that women do not fall victim to gender-based violence. It is also important that they be included in conflict resolution and peace negotiations. It is therefore imperative to continue to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and related resolutions on women and peace and security.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In the Melian Dialogue at the heart of his History of the Peloponnesian Wars, Thucydides famously concluded that “the strong do what they will, the weak suffer what they must”. That is why we have international law — to protect the weak and the small. Their voices must be better heard and their rights must be upheld. Estonia, as a member of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency Group, is working together with a number of other countries to improve the working methods of the Security Council so as to bring about badly needed changes. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are effective tools for advancing security and stability, spurring economic growth, eradicating poverty, preserving the environment and promoting human development.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“A primary criticism directed at the United Nations today is the Security Council’s inability or unwillingness to respond to major crises. Estonia cannot speak from first-hand experience, as we have not yet served in the Council; we have merely observed. We want, however, to bring the spirit of openness, transparency and inclusiveness to the Council’s work, and hence are running for a non-permanent seat for 2020-2021. We are convinced that the role of the General Assembly and the non-permanent members of the Council must be increased. The majority of States Members of the United Nations are small countries. As we look at the history of conflict since the Second World War, small countries are almost invariably the victims of conflict, not the abetters. This is nothing new.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In 2005, the States Members of the United Nations committed to the principle of responsibility to protect, better known as R2P, and to fight genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. However, the brutality we see in Syria shows that an effective solution lies beyond the grasp of the United Nations. When a Government fails to live up to its commitments, when it violates the fundamental norms of civilized behaviour — let alone the tenets of the United Nations — the international community must act. In this respect, the Security Council bears primary responsibility. Council members that veto or vote against actions aimed at preventing mass atrocities carry co-responsibility for those atrocities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The ongoing conflicts we see around the world will, if we do not take control, breed a terrorism that knows no bounds. Estonia reaffirms its commitment to working together to prevent and counter terrorism, which is why we participate in the Global Coalition to Counter the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant. Estonia firmly supports the International Criminal Court and its quest to end impunity. Countries, whether or not they have joined the Rome Statute, must set an example of non-aggression, self-restraint and respect for the rule of law. We believe that a commitment to fighting impunity at all levels is the only way to deter those who might commit crimes in future.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Children on the move or otherwise affected by migration are the most vulnerable group, who, lacking agency, face limited access to justice and social and health services and therefore often suffer horrible abuse. One significant challenge is to provide education to the children in refugee camps. Depriving them of education will damage the prospects of refugee and asylum-seeking children, leave them behind and, at the same time, increase the risk of the kind of alienation that often leads later to extremism. We have seen this where refugee camps have been in place for a long time — sometimes for generations — begetting a continuing crop of disaffected, alienated and radicalized youth who feel that they have nothing to lose.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“In three years, the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration — and I stress the first two words of the name of this agency — spent in today’s money approximately €50 billion to resolve that crisis. It took political will, courage and far more money to solve that crisis than we are willing to spend today. Migration is our common challenge. A sustainable solution to this complex problem lies in addressing its causes. Yet we also must fulfil our commitments under international conventions on the protection of refugees. Such commitments already exist. They are not some vague future goal to which we pledge. Migrant children are at the heart of migration influx.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“During the past 15 years, the number of migrants and refugees worldwide has grown faster than the world’s population. I raise the issue not only because it is a crisis, but also because I myself am a child of refugees. What we face is not — I stress — an unprecedented crisis, as so many have averred. We have faced far worse refugee crises and we have prevailed. In the Europe of 1946, Germany alone had 12 million internal refugees and another 12 million displaced persons of 20 different nationalities. Other countries in the post- war shambles and ruin of Europe at the time were not in much better shape. Yet we prevailed, or rather our grandparents did.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The prohibition on the use of force to change borders lies at the heart of the Charter of the United Nations. It was blatantly violated, and yet the United Nations could not make a difference. Russia’s aggression in Ukraine continues. The territories of Ukraine and Georgia remain occupied by a foreign military force, and frozen conflicts persist in Nagorno Karabakh and Transnistria. We need global norms. Just as we need international law, we also need the mechanisms to enforce it. Unless the United Nations starts to do more, it will, over time, lose relevance. When we face a global challenge, the United Nations should be the first place to come to for a solution, not the last stop when all other options have been exhausted, knowing that nothing will happen anyway.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Today, in too many parts of the world, we find a conflict either emerging, raging or frozen. Terrorism, always a scourge, dominates our daily headlines in all parts of the world. Not all of today’s conflicts and crises could have been prevented, yet the effect of many could have been mitigated had we acted sooner or had the proper mechanisms to resolve them been in place. When I addressed the Assembly in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 (see A/63/PV.8), I warned not to apply international law selectively. International law had clearly been violated, yet little was done. Six years later, in 2014, we saw a repeat performance in Ukraine. Part of a sovereign State was annexed and another part turned into a war zone. For the first time since the Second World War, borders in Europe had been changed through the use of force.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I address the General Assembly today for my tenth and last time. The first time I spoke here (see A/62/PV.5), I addressed climate change, conflict, refugees and — what was apparently a first at the General Assembly — cyberattacks as the continuation of policy by other means. The issues are therefore largely the same, and only the urgency that we sense has been ratcheted up. Certainly, the world was more stable then. It was before the economic and migration crises, the current conflicts in the wider Middle East, or Russia’s aggression against Georgia and Ukraine. It was also before the war on truth and facts that seems to have taken over in many places. Despite our concerns at the time, we lived in a more stable world, where optimism had not yet become naiveté.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“For the first time in the history of the United Nations, an agreement has emerged to the effect that the election process, the lists of candidates and informal meetings should begin in a concrete way. I hope for close cooperation between the Presidents of the General Assembly and the Security Council to that end. Let me stress the importance of taking responsibility. We are being assaulted by an avalanche of problems. It is especially important that we adhere to our values and stand by our commitments. Only then will the concepts of human rights, equality, democracy and international law acquire meaning. Only if we uphold those values will we be able to surmount the turbulent times in which we find ourselves today.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We therefore support the initiatives of the Accountability, Coherence and Transparency (ACT) group and of France and Mexico on the non-use of the veto in cases of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes or other atrocities. Security Council reform clearly needs to become a reality. United Nations reform, which Estonia strongly supports, is not only about the Security Council. We see this seventieth anniversary of the United Nations as a good opportunity to make progress on reform. As a member of the ACT group, Estonia is eager to increase transparency in the process of the election of the next Secretary-General. I am glad that some ACT proposals have already contributed to making the process more transparent.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the responsibility to protect, I reiterate our support for that principle, and call on the international community to make a renewed commitment to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. The Security Council bears primary responsibility in that regard. Unfortunately, in the most serious situations, the Security Council has failed to act owing to the abuse of the veto. It is disappointing that in cases such as those of Syria and Ukraine, Council debates have brought no result. Council members must not vote against actions aimed at preventing and stopping mass atrocities.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The responsibility to provide accountability is, first and foremost, a domestic task. It is therefore essential that States build their national capacities to investigate and prosecute serious international crimes. Estonia has provided development cooperation resources to assist countries in their national implementation of the Rome Statute, and we encourage other States parties to act in a similar manner. Under the first pillar of the responsibility to protect, all States Members of the United Nations commit to protect their people from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I am personally glad to co-chair the advisory panel for the upcoming World Bank World Development Report 2016. That report, entitled “Digital Dividends”, examines how the Internet can be a force for development and asks, importantly, what is required to unlock the still largely unrealized potential of digital technologies. Adherence to the principle of the rule of law is an essential cornerstone of peace and security. Estonia strongly supports the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its activities, including its quest to end impunity. We call on all countries that have not yet done so to join the Rome Statute of the ICC. We also urge all States parties to join in the ratification of the outcome documents of 16/26 15-29437 29/09/2015 A/70/PV.17 the Review Conference of the Rome Statute of the ICC.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“That requires a stable, predictable legal environment that encourages foreign investment and competition. We also need an educational system that teaches the necessary new skills, and we need an accessible Internet and Internet freedom. Those are steps that only Governments can provide. Ninety per cent of the people without access to the Internet live in the developing world. Bridging the digital divide among and within countries — across borders, gender, income and age — is essential for a contemporary digital economy. In 2016, the Internet itself will become the world’s fifth-largest economy, behind only those of the United States, China, Japan and India. It is time for world leaders to place the potential of digital technologies at the top of the development agenda.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies, the respect for human rights, gender equality, the rule of law and good governance, as well as environmental sustainability, are central to the new global partnership. Economic growth is, assuredly, important, but must not come at the expense of the environment. The twenty- first session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held soon in Paris, should reach an agreement that promotes those goals. The smart use of the Internet and digital technologies can be essential drivers for economic growth and development. We need strong public policies so that the digital era can become a genuine success and a motor of development for each country and each member of society.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Unfortunately, the situation concerning the right to privacy and the freedom of expression has worsened during the past several years. Governments must protect the right to privacy, as stated in articles 2, 17 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Any interference with privacy must be lawful and reasonable. At the same time, the right to the freedom of expression must be guaranteed. Estonia has high expectations with regard to the new mandate. This is a crucial year for global action against poverty and for promoting sustainable development. I welcome the historic agreement reached on the Sustainable Development Goals in the form of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Action (resolution 70/1). National Governments can play a key role in creating an environment conducive to sustainable development.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“An active and dynamic civil society is a precondition for prosperity. A free press, the freedom of speech and the freedom of conscience are the cornerstones of any open society. In an era of so-called multiple narratives, we must pay tribute to those activists, journalists and bloggers who risk their lives to expose the truth. This year, the Human Rights Council established a mandate on the right to privacy. Journalists, bloggers, human rights activists and many others living under authoritarian regimes have urged their Governments to stop the arbitrary or unlawful interference with their privacy. They have called on their Governments to stop taking over their emails, closing their blogs and applying censorship.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“As stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, human rights apply to everyone without exception. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform of Action, which have influenced how we address equality and women’s rights today. We need to continuously stand for the rights of women and girls and strive for the elimination of gender-based violence. Women’s rights and the empowerment of women and girls must be promoted at all levels. I welcome the 2015 high-level review and global study on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and hope that it will provide us with a new impetus to move forward on those issues. We must advance global actions linked to the welfare of children by investing in their education and health, as well as by keeping them away from armed conflicts.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“A solution to the conflict must, however, not come at the expense of the principles that underpin European and global security. We must continue to stand up for the international agreements that we have collectively agreed upon — the Charter of the United Nations, the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe — and demand that they be honoured 15-29437 15/26 A/70/PV.17 29/09/2015 and enforced. We must continue to stand up to attempts to divide countries and establish spheres of influence. As the number of conflicts and crises worldwide grows, respect for human rights has become more important than ever. We must uphold universal values and stop massive violations of human rights and crimes against humanity, regardless of who or what caused them.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“The aim is to shift the focus from dealing with the consequences of the migration crisis to dealing with its root causes. But this truly biblical movement of people demands a global response. We not only have the responsibility to bring peace and stability to Syria and Libya but also to put an end to the aggression against Ukraine. Compared to what it was a year ago, the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine is less intense, but daily fighting continues. Crimea remains illegally occupied. Those responsible for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH-17 are still at large. The attempts to obstruct justice on that matter are deeply disturbing. The long-standing protracted conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and Nagorno Karabakh remain unresolved. Dialogue and diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict must continue.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I am also extremely worried about the rising support that we are witnessing for far-right and far-left political movements in Europe, often fuelled by anti-immigrant, racist statements that threaten the liberal-democratic base of our continent that has allowed us to live in prosperity since the Second World War. Short-sighted populist policies exploiting the fears of ordinary people will lead nowhere. The European Union (EU) is the main donor in the effort to alleviate the Syrian refugee crisis. Approximately €4 billion has been mobilized by the European Commission and EU member States for humanitarian, development, economic and stabilization assistance to Syrian internally displaced persons and refugees. And more efforts are being planned, including an African trust fund.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“While Europe’s refugee crisis has been in the international headlines in recent months, the problem itself is obviously wider and more global. According to United Nations statistics, one in every 122 persons is now either a refugee, an asylum seeker abroad or an internally displaced person in his or her home country. Worldwide, 42,000 people flee their homes every day. Never before have there been so many people forced to be on the move. The civil war in Syria alone has created more than 4 million refugees. The majority of them have sought refuge in neighbouring countries, which have borne by far the greatest burden. But many refugees have opted to take the dangerous route across the Mediterranean and have ended up in Europe. There were 600,000 asylum seekers in Europe in 2014, and there will be far more this year.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“It is a region where conflicts in Syria and Libya have led to the radicalization of an ever greater number of people and to the emergence of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). It poses a serious threat to peace and security in Syria, Iraq and the broader Middle East. ISIL violates universal human values. No country is immune to the threat that it poses. Stopping ISIL and other terrorist organizations requires a global effort. Estonia supports the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL, and we believe that the United Nations and the Global Counterterrorism Forum also have an important role to play there. The ongoing crises and conflicts, including in Syria and Libya, have also led to the current refugee crisis in Europe.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“When I addressed the Assembly last year (see A/69/PV.8), foremost on our minds was the state of European and global security. The blatant violation of international law in connection with the occupation of Ukrainian territory that we witnessed in the spring of 2014 triggered a profound change in the global security situation. A year later, we are still adapting to that altered, more unpredictable state of affairs. As we continue to tackle global challenges, including terrorism, climate change, poverty and human rights violations, the number of conflicts and crises worldwide continues to grow. We also witnessed a positive development recently. Let us hope that the historic agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme will pave the way for greater stability in the broader Middle East.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Yet just a few days later on 5 September, an Estonian police officer was abducted by foreign security services on Estonian territory and taken by force to Moscow, where he is still being held in the infamous Lefortovo prison. We cannot allow anyone ever to divide countries into spheres of influence. The community of nations is only secure when its smallest members can feel secure. We cannot and will not accept threats and intimidation in twenty-first century international relations. We cannot have peace, security or prosperity in Europe, or in the world, unless we again find a way to enforce and revalidate the agreements that we have all signed and are parties to.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We need to recall and reaffirm the values that the United Nations was created to protect. The United Nations, a unique global instrument of security and peace, must succeed where the League of Nations once failed. Let us not forget that 75 years ago, on 23 August 1939, a pact was signed between Hitler’s Germany and Stalin’s Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to divide Eastern Europe into their spheres of influence. A week later, on 1 September, Hitler attacked Poland. On 17 September, two and a half weeks later, Hitler’s erstwhile ally, the Soviet Union, also attacked Poland, and the Second World War had begun. The date of 31 August this year marked 20 years since the occupation forces left Estonia — troops that were there as a result of that same Stalin-Hitler pact.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Effective and accountable institutions are powerful enablers of sustainable development, and modern digital technology helps us to create them. In Estonia, we have developed an e-governance system that increases transparency and limits corruption. We have been sharing the system with all interested partners and we continue to be willing to do so. Since 8 May 1945, we have believed that we had been freed of certain ideological demons for good. Yet today we see the return of long-discredited ideas dating back to 1938. The existence of co-ethnics abroad has been used as a justification to annex territory. This is in 2014, not in 1938. So, too, we have seen a return to the ideologies of hatred, lies and propaganda. We must be clear in condemning extreme nationalism, homophobia, xenophobia and religious extremism.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It has a dramatic impact on their living conditions and their security. The small island developing States are most vulnerable. If we do not act soon enough other countries will be threatened as well. We must see this problem globally, not just from the perspective of short-term national or economic interest. The risks of conflict, violence, insecurity, financial and economic collapse, climate change, lack of resources and natural disasters are inextricably intertwined and need to be addressed comprehensively. The new post- 2015 development agenda must be truly universal. Sustainable development goals are best addressed together. Progress in these fields will be guaranteed by good governance, transparency of decision-making and low corruption.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Achieving sustainable development is essential in order to tackle some of the challenges we face. Even in the current fragile security environment, we must take care of the future of the planet and work towards a world where everyone can live a dignified life, free from poverty, violence and exclusion. In today’s interdependent world, this is hard to achieve without peace and stability. The world today also faces the outbreak of a deadly virus. This is no longer a local concern of a few countries. Ebola has become an international public health emergency. Despite efforts already made by Governments and international organizations the outbreak races ahead. We support the efforts of the Global Ebola Response Coalition tasked to contain and stop the spread of the virus. Climate change is already an existential threat to some countries.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Internet is a driver of economic growth and a key tool for development. Since the 1990s it has blossomed into a global network of nearly three billion users. Most of the next billion Internet users will come from developing countries. The United Nations post-2015 development agenda should recognize the importance of new technologies and e-services as a major contribution to the security and prosperity of the world. As we grow more dependent on digital services in our daily lives, we become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. Cyber security is essential, not just for protecting rights, but also for economic prosperity. Cyberattacks can paralyse crucial services or infrastructure. They can cause enormous economic damage. Limiting access to, or censoring the contents of the Internet, however, is not the answer to cyber insecurity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Some States have made efforts to stop the free flow of information on the Internet and to divide cyberspace along State borders. This we must avoid. The Internet must remain a universal platform for the uninhibited exchange of information. Estonia is proud to be a founding member of the Freedom Online Coalition, a community of 23 nations committed to promoting free speech online, and the multi-stakeholder model of a free and open Internet. It is a global initiative that brings together Governments, non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs and think tanks. In April, the Freedom Online Coalition gathered in our capital and issued the Tallinn Agenda, a statement expressing our strongly shared conviction that all people are entitled to the same rights and freedoms, online as well as offline. This is not a lifestyle question.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Human rights, as stated in the Universal Declaration, are universal, inalienable and inviolable. They are based on the humanity and dignity of each and every person. No peace or justice, stability or security can be guaranteed unless the basic rights of all human beings are respected and protected in every country by all Governments. We must, moreover, pay special attention to the rights of the most vulnerable groups. Women’s rights must be protected everywhere. It is crucial that empowering women and action against gender-based violence be implemented in accordance with Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). We must respect the rights of children and minorities, as well as those of indigenous people. We must care for people with special needs. Free speech remains a crucial right.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We cannot ignore that the Security Council has been paralysed as international justice has been manipulated and multiple crises have escalated. The Security Council needs to be reformed. Its work methods and principles must be revised, with special attention on the openness, accountability and transparency of its processes. The permanent members of the Security Council bear enormous responsibility in guaranteeing international peace. No permanent member should abuse the veto to circumvent the principles of the United Nations Charter. Human rights remain the most cherished of values of the United Nations. Unfortunately, respect for human rights can still not be assumed to be the norm. We cannot accept arguments that for some countries human rights do not apply for cultural reasons.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“What can we do, then, to restore the validity of international agreements? There were warning signs of current events in Ukraine earlier. Alarm bells rang already six years ago in Georgia, but few bothered to hear the wake-up call. We must take, therefore, conflict prevention more seriously. We must support States in their choice of democracy, the rule of law and human rights and decisions that follow from that. These recent developments force us seriously to reconsider the role of the United Nations. How can one of the fundamental goals of the United Nations, global peace and security, be promoted when basic international agreements are ignored, State borders are changed, and territories are annexed through force?”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Referendums that are in agreement with international law cannot be arranged in two weeks in the presence of foreign armed forces. The results of such referendums cannot be considered valid. Independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity must remain the fundamental rights of States and nations. That includes their right to direct their own future and to choose their allies, as stated in the CSCE Paris Charter. Such free choices by sovereign nations cannot be accepted as an excuse for aggression. However, it was not Ukraine’s wish even to choose its security arrangements that was used as justification for aggression. Its mere desire to enhance trade and political relations with the European Union, which is not a security arrangement, led to the country’s dismemberment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We must enforce the fundamental agreements upon which our peace and security rely. The Ukrainian crisis is not solely a conflict between two countries. It is not even solely a European issue. If instead of agreements and laws raw brute force will apply in international relations; if changing State borders by force will become an accepted norm, then the stability of the whole world is threatened. As President Obama said this morning, “This is a vision of the world in which might makes right” (A/69/PV.6, p. 11). And he added, “We believe that right makes might” (ibid.). So does Estonia. We believe that too. Such developments must be firmly condemned. The international community cannot leave Crimea as it is now. We cannot accept frozen conflicts created for geopolitical ends.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the Helsinki Final Act of 1975, all trans-Atlantic countries agreed not to use force to change borders or challenge the political independence of any State. States agreed to regard one another’s frontiers as inviolable; to refrain from making each other’s territory the object of military organized occupation. No such occupation or acquisition would be recognized as legal. In the 1990 Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Charter of Paris for a New Europe, all signatories, from Vancouver to Vladivostok, agreed to “fully recognize the freedom of States to choose their own security arrangements”. By annexing Crimea and invading Eastern Ukraine, one of the signatories has violated all of these agreements. Thus, we find ourselves in a completely new and unforeseen security environment.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Berlin Wall fell. The Cold War that had divided the world into hostile camps for half a century ended. This year we should celebrate an anniversary of the triumph of freedom and democracy. Instead, 2014 has turned out to be a year when the international order as we have known it since the cold war, has been violated and put in doubt. Cynical geopolitics in international relations has once again come to the fore. The international agreements upon which the stability of the post-Second World War security architecture relied, have been compromised. Let me recall what we have collectively agreed upon. The Charter of the United Nations of 1945 declares: “All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) poses a serious threat to the people of Iraq and Syria as well as the broader Middle East. This terrorist organization executes prisoners, kills civilians and commits genocidal acts against religious and national minorities. Its brutality, barbarous crimes and extreme ideology threaten all of humanity. It challenges the universal human values enshrined in United Nations documents. We must stop the terrorists. Estonia commends all global efforts to fight the ISIL and other terrorist organizations and stands ready to contribute to those efforts. I should like to welcome the adoption today of Security Council resolution 2178 (2014), on foreign terrorist fighters. A quarter of a century ago in the annus mirabilis 1989, Europe and the democratic world celebrated an historical sea change.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In the 364 days since I last had the honour to address this Assembly, the world has changed dramatically. We have seen a profound change in the global security situation. We see unprecedented threats to peace and security in post-Second World War Europe and the world, while terrorism, climate change, human rights violations and the spread of the Ebola virus continue to be global challenges. We need a concerted effort to achieve peace and stability in Europe and the Middle East, and to restore the credibility of international law. No circumstances can ever justify terrorism in any form. By signing United Nations anti-terrorism conventions States have promised to prevent and investigate terrorist crimes as well as to refrain from supporting or tacitly tolerating those crimes.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Approximately one half of the world’s countries have joined our 2008 initiative “Let’s Do It!” to make people’s environments cleaner and our planet environmentally happier. Let us remain alert and tuned in to every single detail that prevents us from advancing our common well-being, be it in developed or in developing countries. Let us be united in that common effort.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Yet the Council of Europe’s 2001 European Cybercrime Treaty — renamed the Convention on Cybercrime because participants are from all over the world, and also known as the Budapest Convention — remains thus far the only legally binding international instrument that addresses cybercrime. Needless to say, the more countries accede to it, the more functional it will become. We find it odd that those countries with the largest sources of cybercrime have not acceded to the Convention, while in other areas they stress the primacy of international law. The United Nations has had and will continue to have a leading role in making the world sustainable. Yet Governments can do and must do their own fair share. Estonia, for example, proudly continues to support the initiatives of civil society in contributing to sustainable development.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Last year, the Human Rights Council affirmed that very same principle. I am glad that the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on Cyber Issues affirmed that international law is essential in promoting an open, secure and accessible cyberspace. In our fight against cybercrime, it is essential to raise awareness and to work on prevention by everyone, from private computer users to large critical infrastructure and cloud providers. Raising the awareness of political leaders and national governments is equally important; cybercrime may have serious consequences for national security as well as national wealth.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Therefore, synergies between different sources of finance, better policies and strong national ownership are necessary. Nonetheless, the main drivers of sustainable development are inclusive and responsible economic policies. A key enabler of growth is the bold use of modern integrated circuit technology solutions. They promote better governance, access to public services, job creation, transparency, accountability and civil society participation. That brings me to two issues of worldwide importance: cybersecurity and Internet freedom. The two are intrinsically linked and in no way incompatible. Moreover, they will require a multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance. Freedom of opinion and expression, online or offline, is a cornerstone of every democracy and constitutes a fundamental human right.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)