YouSaid · the spoken record

François Hollande

lines on the record: 79
first: 2012-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
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

“There comes a moment for every generation and public official when the only question worth asking is whether we have made decisions — and whether they are good decisions. The countries here are all different sizes, at different levels of development and with different sensitivities and beliefs, but they should have only one goal and one demand, which is that the world should rise to the challenges facing the planet. That is why I want to appeal to all those here — to call for implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, for ensuring that Africa and all Africans have electricity and better development, and for peace in Syria, because it is so urgently needed. That is why I believe in the United Nations, and that is why both France and I are sending a universal message.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“France is a secular country that proclaims itself as such but that speaks to every religion and guarantees freedom of worship on its soil, because the only interests we have in the world are stability, development and the future of our planet. That is why France is so committed to the United Nations and demonstrates it every day. I want to pay tribute to the President of the General Assembly, to all who dedicate themselves to the United Nations, beginning with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who for 10 years has led this difficult mission on behalf of all of us and enabled us to advance its cause. And that is also why, in the face of the major challenges I have mentioned, especially Syria and the fight against terrorism, I expect the United Nations, and particularly the Security Council, to shoulder its responsibilities.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“France does it because it has one great idea, the idea that it has upheld throughout its history — bringing freedom, democracy and justice to the world. It is because France puts its policies at the service of a single goal — peace — and talks to everyone involved. It is because France is an independent nation that respects the law and has no enemies other than the forces of hatred and intolerance that use a betrayed religion to create fear. It is because we must fight the populists who exploit distress in order to divide, separate, stigmatize and pit religions against one another, risking confrontations that would have terrible consequences for cohesion in our societies.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The United Nations has shown its effectiveness with the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which many thought was impossible. United Nations peacekeeping operations have never been as numerous as they are now. However, if we want to act to eradicate terrorism, we will need to make decisions and not merely talk of solidarity when a friendly country is attacked or merely express compassion for the victims. We must shoulder responsibilities whenever that can be useful. That is what France does. Not because it is attacked — today, as I have said, every country is a target for terrorism. No, France does it because it is a permanent member of the Security Council and its role is about acting, not creating obstacles.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“No country can claim to be immune to the threat of Islamist terrorism, fundamentalism and fanaticism, which have seduced and radicalized lost individuals within our societies. There is no sea or wall that can protect a country from this tragedy and the scourge of terrorist action, attacks or aggressions. Terrorism thrives on open conflicts that have remained unsolved for too long. It has provoked a wave of refugees and undermined international order, borders that we thought fixed, law that we thought we could maintain and the collective security that was the very principle of the United Nations. In the face of these dangers, France once again turns to the United Nations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Today, we must do everything we can to ensure that the agreement is implemented; if we do not, there will be renewed violence and perhaps even the resumption of war. I recall that this conflict has claimed more than 6,000 victims. I have therefore taken the initiative, along with the Chancellor of Germany, to bring together the Russian and Ukrainian Presidents in the weeks to come to promote progress in the implementation of the Minsk accords.We will not abandon that goal. We will renounce no initiative that we think may be useful. I have raised the issue of terrorism, which threatens every country of the world. Long is the list of all those whom it has impacted in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and even Oceania.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“France shall never resign itself, even if it is difficult — especially if it is difficult — and that is why it has taken the initiative to contribute to seeking a solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Of course, no one can impose a solution on the parties, but once again, resigning ourselves to the status quo involves taking a risk. It means allowing settlement to take place once again. It means once again allowing unjust, unfair and unacceptable violence to take place. The objective, therefore, is to meet here at the end of the year and hold a conference at which Israelis and Palestinians can assume their responsibilities to negotiate. This same spirit led me, along with Chancellor Merkel, to seek a solution in Ukraine. It led to the creation of the Normandy format, which allowed us to come to an agreement in Minsk.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are also determined to see an intervention in Iraq that will help to free the entire country from the Da’esh occupation of its territory. If we decide to act effectively against terrorism, we can prevent further terrorist attacks around the world. The risk is chaos and division, and it exists beyond Syria. It also exists in Libya. Our priority must be to re-establish the State around the Government of National Accord led by Prime Minister Al-Sarraj — a goal for which France is working with its partners and the United Nations. We cannot sit back and do nothing. That would be playing into the hands of the forces, terrorists in particular, that aim to destabilize the world.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“France has four demands. First, we must first impose the ceasefire in line with the decisions that have been taken. That is the precondition. Secondly, we need to ensure the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Aleppo and other martyred cities. That is the priority. Thirdly, we must ensure the resumption of political negotiations along the lines of the transition established in 2012. That is the solution. Fourthly, we must sanction the use of chemical weapons. That is justice. If we take these decisions and act now, there will be a solution for Syria. In fact, it will be more than a solution; there will finally be hope for refugees and displaced persons. There will finally be action that will allow Syria to maintain its territorial integrity.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I have one thing to say in this regard — enough is enough. Just like in February, the ceasefire held for only a few days. It ended practically the day after its announcement, before its terms were even understood. The regime is responsible for its failure and cannot be exonerated for mistakes that could have been made by others. I would say to its foreign supporters — and we all know who they are — that they need to compel the regime’s hand to peace. If they do not then they, alongside the regime, shall bear responsibility for the division and chaos in Syria. The Security Council must meet as soon as possible. It should not be a theatre of fools — in other words, a place where responsibility can be evaded and where some can impede its work in order to protect a regime while they should be seeking a solution with us.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Let us be clear — the security of Africans has to come from Africans themselves if we want to avoid external intrusion and interference. My appeal for development and renewable energy is also a call for the security of Africans, for equipping their armies and giving them the means to respond, and for these African nations to organize their own development in a free and sovereign manner. The last call I wish to make here is perhaps the saddest of all. It is for Syria. The Syrian tragedy will go down in history as a disgrace for the international community if we do not end it quickly. Aleppo is today a martyred city, and this is how it shall remain in historical memory. Thousands of children have died in bombings, entire populations are starving, humanitarian convoys are being attacked, and chemical weapons are being used.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“When I committed France to acting in Mali, it did so with an awareness of its responsibility. We had to prevent terrorist groups from taking over an entire country and destabilizing an entire region. Today, that threat has been rolled back and Mali is regaining its territorial integrity. But other groups, including Boko Haram and Al-Qaida, are emerging to threaten the security of many countries in West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad region. There too, France is supporting military forces with training, information-sharing and assistance in the fight against terrorism. We are doing so, for instance, in the Niger, Nigeria, Chad, Benin and Cameroon. We should expand such efforts along with the United Nations and the African Union.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why, at the Paris Conference, I launched the African Renewable Energy Initiative. Ten donors — and I want thank them here — pledged to donate $10 billion by 2020. France has assumed 20 per cent of that amount, or €2 billion. Europe has decided on an external investment plan, which could reach — still with a view to providing Africans with access to electricity — nearly €40 billion, and even double that amount if European Union member States contribute as well. I call on all countries to join that effort. I am not just calling for solidarity here — for this is a mutual investment that will benefit the whole world — I call for this to happen as soon as possible. But there will be no development in Africa unless the continent’s security is ensured.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The continent has a bright future; however, it may also be the one to cause growing insecurity, and that insecurity targets, first and foremost, Africans themselves. That is why, on behalf of France, I am proposing a 2020 agenda for Africa. The plan should make it possible for all Africans to gain access to electricity. Two thirds of Africans today are deprived of it. That is an injustice, but above all it impedes sustainable growth in Africa. What is at stake, therefore, is responding to the needs of 15 per cent of the world population. What is at stake is enabling Africans to benefit from their immense potential for development. What is at issue here is reducing population displacements, that is, migration, which leads to the destabilization of both countries of origin and destination.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I appeal to all members to speed up their ratification procedures so that the goal is met by the end of the year. The twenty-first session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-21) was a conference of decisions. The twenty-second session, to be held in Marrakech, should be a conference of solutions. It is a question of implementing the International Solar Alliance, fighting desertification, protecting the seas and also setting a carbon price. However, the appeal I want to issue to the Assembly, following this climate agreement, is an appeal for Africa. Africa is a continent full of promise, but its development could be hindered by climate change, migration, conflict, war and terrorism.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“And yet, standing before the Assembly, let me state once again that despite the momentous nature of the Agreement, there is no time to lose. The past two years have been the hottest known to humankind since records began. Admittedly, in April 2016, right here with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, an agreement was signed with 175 countries. But everyone here knows that it will come into force only if it is ratified by 55 per cent of countries, representing 55 per cent of greenhouse-gas emissions. The United States and China have announced their decision to ratify, which is very important. Nothing would have been possible without the participation and the commitment of those two countries, which are the largest emitters of carbon dioxide. France itself will notify the United Nations tomorrow that it has completed its ratification procedure.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“It is always an honour for me to address the General Assembly. It is also a responsibility — above all given the serious and worrying situation in the world. I stand before those present on behalf of France to issue several appeals. First, I would like to ask all members to do everything possible to implement the historic Agreement that was signed in Paris on 12 December 2015. The Agreement was historic because the conference was held at a time when Paris, the capital of France, had been struck by terrorist attacks. The Agreement was historic because, for the first time, the assembled international community agreed to make a commitment to reducing global warming and mobilizing financing, while allowing the most vulnerable countries to make an energy transition.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“How can we tolerate that the United Nations, even today, remains paralysed when the worst is unfolding? There again, let us lead by example. I pledge here today that France will never use its right of veto in matters involving mass atrocities. The right of veto as it was introduced when the United Nations was founded was not the right to block; it was the right to act. We have to act. We can act. We have been showing that we can for 70 years. Here, today, we can act to settle the tragedies of today and to save the planet tomorrow. Let us act.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“If the United Nations does not have the capacity to resolve conflicts that have been going on for far too long, if the United Nations cannot resolve tragedies or ease the situation of civilian populations, then our helplessness will condemn us. If we want our Organization — which is celebrating its seventieth anniversary — to have a future worthy of that which the founders imagined, we cannot avoid reform of the United Nations. France calls for the enlargement of the Security Council. France calls for a different representation in the Security Council. France calls for continents to clearly bear responsibility for the world in the framework of the Security Council. France wants the permanent members of the Security Council to no longer resort to the right of veto in cases of mass atrocities.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“This is the start of the cycle one would have imagined. If we want to reverse the flows, if we want to keep refugees as close as possible to their home countries, then we must fund UNHCR more, we must help neighbouring countries — Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey — but also countries in Africa, transit countries, countries where there is no migration. We need a major plan now, because tragedy is calling to act and to avert other tragedies. In that context, too, France is doing what it can, and must do what it should. And concerning the World Food Programme, France has decided to immediately increase by €100 million its support for United Nations agencies that are helping countries neighbouring Syria. I want to end my speech by saying that the legitimacy of an Organization such as the United Nations rests on its credibility.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“That was our duty, because Europe is based on values and principles, and the right to asylum is part of this common foundation that unites all the European countries, and which must continue uniting them. Otherwise, it is not the kind of Europe that we wanted. But while Europe should discharge its duty, the world must help refugees. What have we learned those past days and weeks? That the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), due to lack of funds, no longer has the resources to ensure the necessary support and assistance to the populations in question. What have we learned? That the World Food Programme no longer has the means to provide all the refugees basic necessities and sufficient food. What have we learned? That in some neighbouring countries, refugees could not work.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Today those refugees, who can endure no more, are starting a long march. Yesterday, I recalled in the Assembly (see A/70/ PV.11) that 80 per cent of the world’s refugees — refugees because of wars, conflicts, climate, poverty — are in the South. Solidarity with the South is coming from the South. Frequently, it is the most deprived who welcome the poorest. There comes a time when the refugees start to walk, and they can no longer be stopped. If we want to avoid what we have seen — tragedies, crossings that endanger the lives of passengers — if we want to prevent smugglers and criminals from using despair to further enrich the coffers of terrorism, then we must act. Europe has hosted refugees coming not only from Syria, but also from Iraq, Eritrea and the Sudan.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“But I can see, in the context of this ongoing adversity, that some are making every diplomatic effort to incorporate Bashar Al-Assad in that process. But one cannot make the victims and the executioner work together. Al-Assad is at the origin of the problem; he cannot be part of the solution. We have to put an end to the suffering of the Syrian people, but we must also look beyond the political transition that has to be sought, the broad coalition that has to be formed, this condition that has to be laid down, to a new Government capable of uniting all those who have fought, but without the dictator. We also have to be thinking about all the refugees. Until now, those refugees have been in neighbouring countries, but there too, the international community turned a blind eye because it was far away.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“France wants to work with everyone; it does not exclude any country — neighbouring countries, which are most affected, the Gulf countries, but also Iran, the permanent members of the Security Council, as well as Europeans. We want to work with everyone, with everyone who wants to work with us. There is talk of a coalition. This broad coalition is possible; it is even desirable and necessary in order to put an end to what is happening in Syria. But this coalition must have a clear basis or it will never see the light of day. The basis was provided in Geneva more than three years ago. And what did the Geneva agreement say? It specified a transitional Government with full powers, including members of the present Government and the opposition, formed on the basis of mutual consent. That is the basis; let us use it to move forward.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“But it is not because there is a terrorist group that itself massacres, kills, rapes, destroys — including destruction of the common heritage of humankind — that some form of pardon, of amnesty, should necessarily be accorded to the regime that created this situation, as if the existence of a terrorist group that commits the worst kinds of evil acts could furnish the regime with a way to share in what is good. No, all those women, men and children are victims of this tragedy, which is generated by the alliance between terrorism and dictatorship. No solution can be found outside of a political process. France, which, due to its history and also its links that bind it to that part of the world, intends to shoulder its responsibilities. It has already done so recently, including through armed action, through force.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“There are now 250,000, and 12,000 children have died, victims of the Bashar Al-Assad regime. The Syrian tragedy began with a revolution led by those who wanted to challenge the dictatorship of Bashar Al-Assad. At that time, there were no terrorists, there were no fundamentalist groups — there was a dictator who was massacring a people. And the refugees whom we are discussing today, the refugees in the camps, the displaced, 8 million of them — this mass of women, men and children — have not just fled a war. For more than three years they have been fleeing from the regime of Bashar Al-Assad. And still today that same regime is raining bombs on innocent civilians.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“But what is expected of the United Nations is not simply to ensure — though this is already considerable — that the world will be liveable at the end of the century, but that it is liveable today, when conflicts and wars confront us with tragedies that in 1945, when the United Nations system was founded, nobody imagined we would ever see again. Today, it is Syria that once again calls on us to mobilize and to intervene, as many speakers have already stated. Everyone considers that this is a tragedy striking the Syrian population. Everyone has said that we must find a solution. Let us look for it together. But first, we should assess what has not been done. Three years ago, when I stood at this rostrum to address the General Assembly (see A/67/PV.6), there had already been 30,000 victims of the Syrian tragedy.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In brief, if we are in a position to meet those three requirements — that is, a universal agreement, one that can be revised and will be revised every 5 years, and funding sufficient to cover everything that we will have to cover in emerging needs and future technology — then in Paris in two months we will be able to say we have risen to the challenge; not just a rendez-vous with history, but with the future. It is good that the international community is able to look to the future and to say what sort of world we want. We did it with respect to the Sustainable Development Goals, and we must do it for climate issues.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“So we have two months before the Paris Conference to continue to mobilize the World Bank, major development banks, financial institutions, States and private stakeholders so that we can reach $100 billion. Everyone should set an example. France abides by the rule that when serving as the host country; we must perform better than our guests, or at least as well as them. I am announcing here today that France’s annual climate funding, which is €3 billion today, will be more than €5 billion in 2020. That increase in aid will not be merely through loans, but also in the form of grants, because it is with grants — funds transferred directly and that will not be reimbursed — that we can powerfully promote the adaptation of developing countries to the effects of climate change.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“We must collect $100 billion by 2020, but it must be said today so as to ensure that emerging countries, developing countries, can feel confident that they will be aided and supported so that this technological leap, the sharing of technology, will come about. Yes, one hundred billion dollars. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is responsible for providing an initial estimate, to be presented at the Lima meeting. I wish here to thank the President of Peru for continuing the work he undertook at the twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The OECD will provide the initial estimate, as we have not reached $100 billion yet.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Through incorporating a review mechanism into the agreement, we will be able to regularly review, periodically measure and even revise every five years our national contributions. That is what will allow us to be sure that at the end of the century, well beyond our time, the planet will not havewarmed by more than 2°C. The third condition that will determine failure or success is developed countries making financial commitments. I am aware that already in Copenhagen the figure of $100 billion was announced to ensure the financing of energy transition, adaptation and technology transfer.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“To date, 90 countries — half of those sitting in the United Nations — have submitted their national contribution, which represents 80 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions — already a considerable figure. That means that half of the world has not yet responded. I therefore invite them to do so and to do so quickly so that we can determine as of now what, given the contributions from every State, we can assure the world will be the limit on global warming. The second condition that will signify our success or failure is to be able to ensure that our resolution, our action, is long-lasting. The Paris accord must not be an end or a conclusion, but rather a starting point, the beginning of a process.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“There are some countries that so far have been reluctant — here I am thinking of developing countries — and have asked themselves whether it is really useful to impose restrictions on themselves when the most developed countries have been free of such rules and obligations. If asked today for a prognosis, and I often am, I will say that nothing has been settled in regard to winning an accord in Paris — nothing. But at the same time, everything remains possible. I see three conditions that must be met for us to be able to say that the Paris Conference was truly successful, worthy of us and of what was entrusted to us when we were asked to host the Conference. The first condition is to be able to conclude a universal agreement applicable to all, one that is binding and differentiated so that everyone can do their own part, and not more.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Some will say, “But that can happen later, maybe at another conference”. I assure the Assembly here and I will say it quite plainly: if it does not happen in Paris, it will be too late for the world. Matters have progressed well in recent months, and very strong declarations have been made by precisely those most responsible for global warming — the United States and China, which have made commitments that contribute to changing the current situation. Many calls have come from all continents, stressing the gravity and urgency of the situation and providing detailed testimony on what global warming is now, today.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“In the meantime, there are disasters: tsunamis, earthquakes, islands on the verge of disappearing, coastlines washed away, and glaciers melting. That is the reality of climate change. Faced with such challenges, we must all must shoulder our responsibilities at our respective levels. France, in many domains, has never refused its cooperation. France wished to host the Climate Change Conference, no doubt because we were aware of that terrible failure at Copenhagen and felt that this time we needed to make a good decision, one that can be taken only by the entire international community. So in Paris, we must ask ourselves one question: is humankind capable of taking the decision to preserve life on the planet? Yes, that single question places us at a level that no one could ever imagine in our generation.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our Organization, the United Nations, is celebrating its seventieth anniversary. Immense progress has been made since it was established as an institution entrusted with the task of maintaining peace, which it has managed to do so on many an occasion. Yet, 70 years later dramas and tragedies, conflicts and wars continue to unfold, and the world must yet once again rise up to significant challenges. Among those of today is the flight of hundreds of thousands — even millions — of refugees from the Middle East and Africa, seeking protection or simply to save their lives. Terrorism strikes at civilian populations and no country is immune from this scourge. There are also conflicts, such as that in the Middle East, that have remain unresolved for years and years, and that we all know could intensify at any moment.”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“I hope that other countries follow our example, because we need that Green Fund to allow less developed countries to grow and to succeed in their energy transition at the same time. This is a sad moment that I am living today on behalf of France, that the French are experiencing, but it is also a moment of awakening and responsibility. For the world, for the planet, we must fight terrorism, we must act in favour of peace, we must reduce inequalities, we must also do our duty for future generations. We must ensure that the Paris conference is successful for the sake of the climate. We must make certain that the United Nations can remain faithful to the mandate given to it after a war — a terrible war. We are still facing challenges, but we are certain to meet them if we are united and come together to claim victory.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am pleased that thanks to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there was a summit here that mobilized awareness, States, financial institutions, businesses and civil society. Many events took place. We have to succeed at the Paris conference, not because it will take place in Paris, but because it is the world’s appointment with itself. There are periods in history when we have the power to decide, and decide not just for ourselves but for humankind. This is one of those moments. Therefore in Paris, we have to do everything can be done to reach a comprehensive, binding agreement that differentiates according to levels of development, everything so that there can be that Green Climate Fund, to which France has contributed $1 billion for the coming years.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We have to have the same awareness of the risks, the dangers and the perils that we had right after the Second World War. We must not think that all we have to do is remember; we have to think of the future, of the world we want. The world that we want is the final subject I wish to address here. The world that we want has to be one of profound change. The present disorder also threatens not only our generation but naturally those that will follow us. It threatens our very security, as there are more displaced persons resulting from climate imbalance than from wars, which are sadly so intense and deadly on our planet. France has lived up to its responsibilities in that area too. We decided to organize the climate conference in December 2015.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Therefore, France, Europe and the world must provide to the countries affected by the epidemic the necessary medical care, indispensable protection and economic assistance that is expected. Because again, if there is the slightest weakness, the slightest failure to show solidarity, all of our countries will be affected. I have also come here before the General Assembly to speak about what is happening in Europe and next to Europe, to speak about what occurred in Ukraine and the failures there to uphold principles of international law. But what is at stake today, even in Europe, is peace and ensuring that the ceasefire that was agreed can be transformed into a lasting solution to the conflict. No continent has been spared from any threat. Everything is fragile, everything is precarious, everything is vulnerable.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is not weakness that will be the response to terrorism; it is force — the force of law, the force of the United Nations. At a certain point also, it will be the force of military action when it becomes necessary. I also wanted to talk about other regions of the world that are facing threats that also affect our own security. I want to talk to the Assembly about the Ebola epidemic, because I know just how much it is affecting our African friends. But again, let us look beyond those who are affected. Who can imagine that the epidemic will remain confined to just a few countries if we do not intervene? It is also a global threat. Again, the response must be a global.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“France knows that it upholds values, France knows it has a role to play and will never abandon that role, and that the fight against terrorism will be continued and expanded as much as necessary within respect for the rule of law and the sovereignty of States, for we make no mistake when we act. We will always act with respect for the principles of the United Nations. I also wanted to talk to about other things, but it must be understood that a great question is being asked of my country and also of the Assembly. When faced with barbarism, with terrorism, will we remain spectators, or will we be actors together in what should be a just international order? The question, if we do not respond to it, or if we respond too weakly, then terrorists will continue their business of recruitment and indoctrination.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But we also know that as long as there is no settlement of the Syrian crisis, all our efforts risk being undermined. So the challenge is not only to act against Daesh, but also to achieve a political solution. We in France support the democratic Syrian opposition. We consider it the sole legitimate representative of the Syrian people. In that case, too, we will not back down; we will not compromise because of threats. The Bashar Al-Assad regime deserves to be condemned because they are complicit in what has been going on for the past three years in Syria — 200,000 deaths and so many displaced persons. This is a sad time for France, with the death — the murder — of one of our citizens, but France will never give in to blackmail, pressure or barbarous acts. On the contrary, France knows what is expected of it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“But it does not concern that region alone, because the Daesh group has decided not only to conquer territory, imagining that it will found a State; it threatens the entire world by provoking attacks, organizing kidnappings and recruiting fighters from around the world to train them and show them the barbarity of which the group is capable, so they may reproduce that horrific terrorist movement in our own countries. It is because this threat exists not only for the region but for the world that France responded to the Iraqi authorities’ appeal to provide them first with military aid through the delivery of weapons this past August and also with aerial support to keep the Daesh group from being able to continue its advance. We want to weaken it. We want to quash it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That is why the battle that the international community must wage against terrorism knows no borders. The same flag must be carried, that of the United Nations, that of the values for which this Organization was founded — human dignity, freedom, the vision we must have of a world of tomorrow, a world of justice. France is fully engaged in this battle. That was the case in Africa when it was called to Mali, where, fortunately, it was joined by many African and European countries and now by the United Nations. France has been engaged whenever there is a risk. But today it is in Iraq and Syria where that threat exists.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Assembly will understand that I am speaking today with particular emotion, because one of my compatriots has just been the subject of a cowardly assassination in Algeria by a terrorist group linked to Daesh. His name was Hervé Gourdel. He was a man full of enthusiasm who loved mountains and thought that he would be able to pursue his passion by going to the Djurdjura area in Algeria. He was captured, and he was decapitated. That is what terrorism does. And it does not do that only to France. Several days ago it was American and British individuals subjected to the same barbarity. That group — Daesh — does not strike only those who think differently from themselves; they also strike Muslims, they strike civilian populations, and they strike minorities. They rape, they kill.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Our credibility depends upon our capacity to intervene quickly and effectively in ensuring respect for international law, punishing violations and promoting development to preserve future generations. Our legitimacy flows from the Charter of the United Nations. We must be worthy of it. Within that framework, France will always assume its responsibilities in all domains.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“In any domain, whether international security, nuclear proliferation, development or climate change, the worst threat is inaction, the worst decision is to take no decision, and the worst danger is to not see any. And the United Nations bears the responsibility to act. Each time the Organization appears powerless, peace is the first victim. That is why I am proposing that the permanent members of the Security Council define a code of conduct such that in cases of mass crimes, they may collectively decide to renounce the right of veto. It is also my hope to see the Secretary-General’s powers of inquiry strengthened to enable the United Nations to ensure — as it has done in Syria — that the truth is established in all instances, carry out investigations and act on the results. The Assembly has the sovereign right to take such a decision.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The foundations of the commitment are well known. The agreement must be equitable. Each country must do its part. The developed countries obviously must make he greatest effort. Emerging countries must protect their development, but they must also understand that they are directly threatened by global warming. The least developed countries, those that are the most fragile and vulnerable, must be aided in the transition. That is the purpose of the fund that was created in Durbin. The agreement must also be binding; it cannot simply be a reiteration of principles. It cannot simply be wording in resolutions that are not translated into concrete actions. If there is no assessment and there are no sanctions, there will be no progress and global temperature will inexorably rise. My message is simple.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I have decided to allocate 10 per cent of that income towards such development-related actions as access to water and renewable energy, because with development assistance we can help the poorest countries to ensure their future, and thereby their security, and to respond to global warming, which concerns us all. France is available to host the 2015 climate conference. This matter, too, respresents a threat to our own security, because one report after another states that if we do nothing, by the end of this century the temperature of the planet will have increased by three or four degrees Centigrade, with the well-known consequences of flooding in some places, droughts in others. Those direct threats would in turn endanger peace throughout the world. We must therefore seek an agreement at the 2015 climate conference.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)