YouSaid · the spoken record

Aurelia Frick

lines on the record: 128
first: 2009-09-24
most recent: 2018-09-24
sittings or episodes: 10
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

“It is an honour to be back in the Assembly, especially as Liechtenstein is celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of its membership in the United Nations. We may not have been among the earliest countries to join the United Nations, but we certainly were and remain among those who did so with full conviction. Today, United Nations membership is a key platform for our Government’s foreign policy. The Organization enjoys strong approval among our population, two thirds of which have expressed favourable views in recent polls. For people to approve of the United Nations is important, of course. After all, the Charter of the United Nations is explicitly written on behalf of the peoples of the world. But we must ask: what about people who are more directly affected by its work than the population of Liechtenstein?”
2015-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 70 (2015)
“Our work to date in developing the post-2015 agenda gives us cause to be optimistic. Let us make the best use of the upcoming months to produce an agenda of which we can be truly proud as a platform for collective action and an inspiration for future generations.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Placing the rule of law at the heart of the sustainable development goal agenda will therefore be one key of success. Secondly, there is no sustainable development without the full empowerment of women. Nothing short of full equality between men and women will be required for development to be sustainable. We must therefore fully recognize the empowerment of women as a key ingredient of sustainable development. Thirdly, the implementation of international commitments cannot be left to chance. We need accountability. We must establish a system to monitor progress in the implementation of the post-2015 agenda, carried out by us as States but involving all stakeholders. The High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development is the best anchor for such a system.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“There could not be a greater challenge for the Assembly than setting the global agenda for sustainable development for the next generation. And there could not be a greater opportunity to show its relevance. The Millennium Development Goals were a success. They set the agenda for more than a decade, galvanized tremendous efforts for development and led to very significant advances. However, they were also a learning process. We must be honest about where we have failed and do better where we can. Three areas stand out in that respect. First, accountable institutions, access to justice and an effective fight against corruption are key ingredients of development that are truly transformative and sustainable. That is amply illustrated by national experiences around the world and is well documented by research.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We stand ready to defend the Court and the integrity of the Rome Statute, because we know that political attacks against the ICC are easy to launch but difficult to respond to. The fact that the Court is an entirely independent institution that follows the law, not politics, does not make the headlines. The fact that the ICC has jurisdiction in some places but not in others is easily misrepresented as selectivity. Our goal therefore remains for the Rome Statute to become a universal treaty. Victims of crimes in Syria, Iraq, Palestine and North Korea — to cite just a few examples — deserve their day in court as much as those in other parts of the world. We are determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“International courts and other judicial mechanisms are gaining greater acceptance. Calls for accountability are becoming louder. We can look to an impressive body of international jurisprudence. That is particularly true for the International Criminal Court (ICC). Victims of the gravest crimes around the world place their hopes for justice in the Rome Statute system. That is a great responsibility for the Court, an institution which frequently works in a politically charged context. Those who support the Court must make that support felt. For that reason, I have initiated an informal network of ministers who support the ICC personally as politicians. Our network has grown to 26 members.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Clearly, we will have to find new strategies to protect women in conflict from violence, in particular sexual violence. We are still far from using the full potential of women as agents of peace. Men have always been in charge of making war and of making peace: their record is not impressive. Women must obtain their seat at the negotiating table, where they belong and where they are needed. I am grateful to the Secretary-General for taking the lead on that issue and for increasingly appointing women to high positions in the areas of mediation and conflict resolution. We are determined to establish conditions in which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained. Justice and the rule of law are areas where we have made important progress.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are not living up to our promise, made some 10 years ago, to collectively ensure protection against such crimes. We are determined to reaffirm faith in the equal rights of men and women. Equality between men and women was one of the first things on the minds of the drafters of the Charter of the United Nations just after the end of the Second World War. Is that not striking? We have certainly achieved much since then. The 1995 Beijing Fourth World Conference on Women in particular was a watershed moment in that regard. The commemoration of its twentieth anniversary is the best opportunity for us to show that we remain fully committed to its outcome. Next year we will also reflect on our progress on the women, peace and security agenda 15 years after it was established under Security Council resolution 1325 (2000).”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Nevertheless, their core principles — proportionality in the use of force and a distinction between civilians and combatants — are violated on a daily basis. The recent conflict in Gaza was carried out at the expense of civilians by both parties to the conflict. The civilian population of Syria has been experiencing enormous suffering for more than three years now. Atrocities have been committed against men, women and children by the regime and, increasingly, by other actors. Humanitarian access has been blocked systematically as a method of warfare. Civilians in both Syria and Iraq are left at the mercy of the sickening brutality of ISIL. There has rarely been a time when civilians were at greater risk of being victimized by atrocity crimes.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Assembly should respond by uniting in a call against the persecution of any religious minority anywhere in the world. I am also particularly alarmed about the rising violence against human rights defenders, such as the recent murder of Samira Saleh Al-Nuaimi, an Iraqi activist and the mother of three children. There is nothing Islamic about that barbaric act, committed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). In times of conflict, international humanitarian law represents our hope for at least the bare minimum of human dignity. The Geneva Conventions of 1949 are among not only the greatest achievements in the history of international law but also the most successful treaties with their near-universal acceptance.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The General Assembly, which we have entrusted to your leadership, Mr. President, during this session, is also a human rights organ. The world is changing at an ever-increasing speed. That requires our continued commitment to human rights. The right to privacy, for example, is at risk of being lost. The digital era makes large-scale data collection both easy to undertake and difficult to detect. Discrimination on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, nationality, ethnicity, religion, disability or any other status remains rampant in many parts of the world. The rise of religious intolerance is especially alarming. Conflicts around the world are characterized by the persecution of religious minorities, be they Shiites, Yazidis, Christians or others. We are witnessing a disturbing rise in anti-Semitism.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We of course accept the veto as a reality of the Charter of the United Nations, as we did when we joined the Organization. However, we do not accept that the veto should be used in a manner that contradicts the very purposes of the United Nations. We have witnessed too many such instances in recent times. Change is urgently needed. We therefore look for a commitment from States serving on the Council not to vote against any action necessary to prevent or to end crimes of atrocity. We look to the permanent members in particular to give a clear commitment to that end. We are determined to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights and in the dignity and worth of the human person. The United Nations, created as a family of nations, has the rights and dignity of the individual at the centre of its efforts. This is a human rights organization.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Jurisdiction for the crime of aggression before the International Criminal Court (ICC) will be possible as early as 2017. The ratification process of the Kampala amendments is well on track. I welcome the ratifications by Latvia, Poland and Spain just a few days ago. We look forward to achieving that goal, together with the largest possible number of partners. For truly collective work to maintain peace and security, we need a collective sense of purpose. That is difficult to reconcile with the notion that a single Security Council member is able to block the action required if the United Nations is to fulfil its purposes and principles — with no questions asked, no matter how large the majority in favour of such action.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are disturbed by the acts of aggression perpetrated against Ukraine and by the illegal annexation of parts of its territory. Those acts are massive violations of the principles on which the Organization was built. They are a major setback for collective security. As a small country situated in the heart of Europe and a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, we hope that we can quickly re-establish a consensus on security issues in Europe. The events in Ukraine also underline the need to ensure the enforcement of international law — if necessary in a court of law. We now, for the first time since the Nuremberg Tribunal, have a historic opportunity to criminalize the most serious forms of the illegal use of force in an international court.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“This has been an enormously difficult year for the United Nations. As the Secretary-General has pointed out, we are living in an era of an unprecedented level of crises. I echo his call for leaders to unite. At a time when the world seems to be breaking apart, it will serve us well to remember what unites us. We need to look no further than the Charter of the United Nations. The preamble to the Charter offers a vision that seems so difficult for us to fulfil: we are determined “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war”. The Organization was created, above all, to prevent war. Indeed, it offers a system of collective security that is far more effective than anything that existed before. Yet the events over the past year have shaken its very foundations. At times, it seems that we revert to the habits of past centuries.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Only the “G-193” provides the legitimacy and universality required for decisions of global impact and for setting standards that apply to all. This is our General Assembly. Let us use it.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“They must aim at eradicating poverty and hunger once and for all, and finally ensure full equality between men and women. They must therefore be firmly rooted in human rights, respect for the rule of law and principles of good governance. The sustainable development goals will ensure sustainability only if they approach development in a holistic way. Most important, once we have agreed on our new goals, we need to become more serious in our commitment to achieving them. Let us therefore develop and apply an effective monitoring mechanism to show the world that we are indeed serious. The post-2015 process will also be decisive in moving the General Assembly back to the centre of multilateral policy-making.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Many of our stated goals, from sustainable development to lasting peace, require the full participation of women. Otherwise, they are simply not attainable. In that regard, I am grateful for the leadership of the Secretary-General. We should all rally behind his call to make the twenty-first century the century for women. The upcoming negotiations on the post-2015 agenda will be a crucial test of our ability to tackle challenges that will define the lives of future generations. We look forward to the leadership of the President of the General Assembly in that process. It is of course too early to offer a final assessment of the Millennium Development Goals. But we know that important unfinished business will be carried over into the sustainable development goals. Those new goals must be much more than just an extension of past efforts.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The rule of law and accountability have made steady progress in the work of the United Nations. Nevertheless, that progress remains abstract for countless individuals who are vulnerable to atrocities. Sexual violence in conflict has become a rampant phenomenon, with women and girls at particular risk of becoming victims. The ICC has made the fight against that scourge a priority. Most important, though, we must do our part as States. Liechtenstein fully supports the United Kingdom’s initiative to take greater action to end sexual violence during conflict. The fight against sexual violence must also play a central role in the larger context of the women, peace and security agenda. All of that requires stronger emphasis on the need to empower women.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“All five permanent members should be able to give the world one public commitment, that is, that they will not use their veto to block action aimed at ending or preventing crimes of atrocity. That would be crucial to enhancing the Council’s effectiveness and credibility. Unfortunately, we have not yet reached the point where we are able to bring the composition of the Security Council in line with the geopolitical realities of the twenty-first century. But the Council is also struggling to adjust its working methods to new challenges in order to better include the perspective of non-members in its decisions, which is a crucial ingredient for effective leadership. We will therefore continue our efforts to promote accountability and transparency in the work of the Council.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Liechtenstein was the first country to ratify the amendments, and we will continue to assist in the ratification process. Liechtenstein firmly believes in the responsibility to protect populations from crimes of atrocity. Clearly, we have much work left to do in order to put that norm into practice. Our inability to respond to the crisis in Syria demonstrates a crucial weakness in the system: the use of the veto, or its threat, in a manner incompatible with the purposes of the United Nations. That can make the Security Council irrelevant when it is most urgently needed. During this general debate, the President of France suggested a common code of conduct for Permanent Members of the Security Council (see A/68/PV.5). We strongly agree with that proposal.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“We added provisions that criminalize the use of poisonous and other gases, whether they are used in international or in internal armed conflict. It is troubling that those provisions have become relevant so quickly. But the biggest steps forward are amendments to crimes of aggression. They complement the prohibition of the illegal use of force enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. The most serious forms of the illegal use of force by one State against another will become a punishable offence before the ICC. The Court will thereby help enforce the core principle of the rule of law at the international level. With ratifications by Andorra, Cyprus, Slovenia and Uruguay earlier this week, we have come a significant step closer to our common goal, namely, the activation of the Court’s policy over crimes of aggression in 2017.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“With 122 States parties, the Court has attracted a strong following. But the emergence of an effective international judicial mechanism also poses challenges. We have mandated the Court to investigate and prosecute the most serious crimes under international law. And we have asked it to focus on those perpetrators who bear the greatest responsibility. Therefore, it cannot be surprising to anyone that the Court is dealing with individuals in leadership positions. We are satisfied that the Court follows the evidence, and that it does not shy away from investigating and prosecuting those in powerful positions. It is therefore implementing its mandate and not politicizing the work it does. Recent events in Syria have reminded us of the importance of the amendments to the Rome Statute adopted in Kampala in 2010.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“That is precisely the type of crisis for which we established the ICC, and it is precisely the type of situation that led us to give the Security Council the competence to refer situations to the Court. In its recent resolution 2118 (2013), the Council made a limited statement on accountability. More determined and more concrete action must follow. A referral to the ICC will ultimately also contribute to a viable political future for the country, create accountability for those crimes, provide redress for the victims and establish the truth. The establishment of the International Criminal Court has been the most significant development in international law for decades. Only the adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty earlier this year has come even close in terms of significance.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“There may be different views on who used chemical weapons in Syria, but everyone agrees that that use constitutes a crime against humanity and a war crime that must not go unpunished. It must therefore be put before a court of law, together with the countless other crimes committed, for an independent and impartial investigation. Syria is our biggest collective failure with regard to accountability in recent history. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has been operational for more than a decade now. During that time, we have not witnessed any other situation in which crimes have been committed so systematically, on such a scale and for such a long time without any adequate response from the international community. It is well documented that crimes have been and continue to be committed by all sides.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Nevertheless, that issue must not divert our attention away from the core problem: the fighting in Syria continues unabated, with blatant disregard for the civilian population and international humanitarian law. Weapons and ammunition cross the borders more easily than humanitarian assistance. The recent breakthrough on the issue of chemical weapons shows that political progress is possible. Hopefully, that will create the momentum for the Council to finally live up to its responsibility: to end the supply of weapons, pressure the parties to the conflict to accept a ceasefire, work towards a political solution and prepare the ground for accountability for past crimes.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Humanitarian access to those most in need, including the sick and the wounded, is being systematically denied owing to cynical political calculations. The humanitarian agencies have become a pawn in that perverted game. Sadly, it took a particularly outrageous act to generate action in the Security Council: the use of chemical weapons, with hundreds of victims, including countless children. We are encouraged to see that the Council has decided to ensure the destruction of all chemical weapons in Syria. That should also provide new momentum to ensure that all remaining States join the Chemical Weapons Convention. Indeed, it should be a step towards the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction worldwide. The use of chemical weapons in Syria has marked a watershed in the conflict.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“At the outset, let me convey the sincere condolences of the people and the Government of Liechtenstein to all those affected by the abhorrent terrorist attack in Kenya. Our thoughts are with the victims and their families. For the second year in a row, the Assembly is meeting under the shadow of the crisis in Syria. It is the challenge of our time. No other situation in the recent past has so dramatically tested the United Nations ability to respond. And none has so starkly illustrated the limitations and the weaknesses of our multilateral system. Thousands of people have been killed in a brutal war, many of them women and children, and many of them victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Regional stability has been eroded. Millions of people are depending on humanitarian assistance, which is often impossible to deliver.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Only when women are fully included will we, the United Nations, be successful in pursuing our goals.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“If we continue on our path, then the United Nations can be the decisive driving force for gender equality worldwide. Until then, we can and must do much more, in particular in the area of women, peace and security. Stronger protection of women, both legal and otherwise, in situations where they are particularly prone to becoming victims is a key component. The United Nations, with its very strong field presence all over the world, can make a unique contribution to that end. But most importantly, the United Nations must lead by example when it comes to gender equality and the advancement of women. We must make the best use of their talents, skills and experiences as peacemakers, as agents for sustainable development and as advocates for human rights and the rule of law. As is well known, the future is female.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We hope that this issue will become one of the highlights of Mr. Jeremić’s presidency. Let me conclude with some remarks about an issue that is particularly dear to my heart. I am convinced that the inclusion of the whole population, men and women alike, is essential to the stability and peaceful and prosperous development of nations. Since becoming Foreign Minister, I have tried to make use of the relevant international platforms to promote the advancement women. I also hope to bring Liechtenstein’s expertise and passion for women’s issues to the Commission on the Status of Women during the term 2015-2019. I am grateful to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his leadership in this area. UN-Women, headed so charismatically by Michelle Bachelet, has given a much- needed additional boost to our efforts.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We must revert to considering the universality and openness of the General Assembly as key assets, not as a weakness. The Assembly must reaffirm its unique and central role in global governance, including in the economic dimension. I welcome the strong commitment of President Jeremić, expressed at the beginning of this session, to work for genuine multilateralism and, to that end, to reach a new level of engagement. I assure him of our full support in this endeavour. There must be accountability for decisions of global impact before the Assembly or before other relevant and universally accessible bodies. To achieve that aim, we will build on the progress made in recent years in the framework of the Global Governance Group. The Group has become a trusted bridge-builder in these matters.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We therefore look forward to a strong rule-of-law dimension in the sustainable development goals resulting from the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development. The Conference resulted in a number of important agreements. It also illustrated the value of inclusive and transparent multilateralism, especially when compared with other, more exclusive decision-making processes. This serves as a reminder of the need to reconcile seemingly competing interests in international decision-making: transparency and inclusiveness on the one side, and efficiency and effectiveness on the other. Multilateral decision-making is efficient when there is sufficient political will. It is effective when it has the legitimacy necessary to ensure full implementation.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“I would therefore encourage all current and future parties to the Rome Statute to ratify the Kampala amendments as soon as possible. Together we can take this big step forward in the history of international law. Criminalizing the illegal use of force between States would be a very significant step forward in the promotion of the rule of law at the international level. The rule of law is rightfully moving to the centre of our attention. We have illustrated this fact by holding a high-level meeting on this topic earlier this week. The rule of law permeates many of the activities we pursue here at the United Nations. Indeed, there can be no lasting security, no sustainable development and no effective protection of human rights without the rule of law.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The prohibition of the illegal use of force is at the core of the Charter of the United Nations, and aggression has been considered a crime under international law for decades. But the consensual adoption of the Kampala amendments to the Rome Statute allows us to put that principle into practice. Leaders that consider resorting to the illegal use of force will be put on notice, once 30 States parties have ratified the amendments and once we have activated them in 2017. I am proud of the fact that Liechtenstein, following its presidency of the Review Conference, was the first State to ratify the amendments, on 8 May this year. We chose the date as a tribute to the commemoration of the end of the Second World War in Europe. We have also launched an initiative to support the ratification process that is under way.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Political support is particularly required where investigations are based on referrals from the Security Council. The obligation for the State in question to cooperate is based entirely on the Security Council’s authority, not on the Rome Statute. The Council must therefore play a key role in ensuring that such cooperation is forthcoming. We as States are also responsible for ensuring that indicted individuals are arrested and transferred to the Court. Clearly, we must do better in that regard. We are also being given a historic opportunity both for the Court and for the United Nations: for the first time since the end of the Second World War, we can enable an international tribunal to prosecute the crime of aggression.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“And who would have expected the Court to emerge from political controversy as a stronger institution? Those are remarkable achievements that we can be proud of. Nevertheless, the next decade is also fraught with challenges. We have been strongly united in setting up the Court and getting it under way. Now that it is fully operational, we must more than ever support it politically. I therefore launched a ministerial-level initiative to support the ICC earlier this week. I was very encouraged by the strong response to my call for coordinated action when needed. In adopting the Rome Statute, we have not just set up an international tribunal located in The Hague. We have also created a global system to fight impunity, which assigns a strong role to States. It also offers the Security Council an important role, if it chooses to play it.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We therefore join Switzerland in the call to the Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC) (see A/67/PV.7). But we also ask the Council to fully support such a referral in order to ensure cooperation and not to put up any obstacles to the appropriate financing of the Court’s work. Without those two prerequisites, referrals are a mixed blessing and problematic for the ICC. This year, we also commemorate the tenth anniversary of the International Criminal Court. We are looking at the history of an astonishing success. Who would have thought that the Court’s membership would near two thirds of the membership of the United Nations in such a short time? Who would have predicted that the Security Council would make referrals to the ICC on two occasions — once even by unanimous vote?”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“Clearly, the main priority is to end the suffering of the Syrian people and to bring about a political solution that guarantees human security and stability for the region. However, we also have an obligation to ensure that there is no impunity for the worst crimes under international law and that those who have the greatest responsibility do not get away with murder. The evidence before us is alarming. The independent international commission of inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, established by the Human Rights Council, came to clear conclusions. The primary responsibility to ensure accountability falls, of course, on the Syrian judiciary. But we can be under no illusions as to whether it will deliver justice to the victims and due process to all accused.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The stalemate in the Council demonstrates that we must look at the way in which the veto power is and can be used. In that respect, there must be accountability vis-à-vis the membership of the Organization as a whole. After all, the Council carries out its work on behalf of us all. We call upon the permanent members to acknowledge that the United Nations Charter does not grant them the right to the veto without any strings attached. We ask them to acknowledge that the Council must at all times act in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations. We therefore request that they pledge not to use the veto to block Council action aimed at preventing or ending genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“The United Nations is only as effective as its political organs allow it to be. The crisis must therefore make us think in general terms about the lessons we should learn. The situation in Syria is clearly of burning concern to the membership as a whole as a human security crisis and a threat to international peace and security. At the same time, the Security Council is unable to carry out its tasks under the Charter because of disagreement among its permanent members. It is therefore essential that the General Assembly step in and play a more active role, as it has done on some occasions. That is all the more important as we are confronted by the failure to fulfil the responsibility to protect a civilian population — a principle adopted in this Hall at the highest political level.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“When we last met, a year ago, we heard many calls from this rostrum to bring an end to the crisis in Syria. Since then, the violence has turned into a civil war that puts the United Nations to shame. We have seen open division in the Security Council and little interest by the parties to the conflict in a United Nations-led mediation. Instead, the situation on the ground has further escalated. The entire region is now threatened with instability. The blatant disregard for the lives and rights of civilians, of women and children in particular, is simply shocking. It is a crisis with profound and lasting effects for the three main pillars of the United Nations: peace and security, development, and human rights. It is therefore also an existential challenge for this Organization.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“We are convening in this Assembly at a time when we are witnessing a worrisome phenomenon, namely, senseless violence spreading through an entire region as a result of a senseless offence to religious feelings. More than any other organization, the United Nations stands for the ideals of tolerance, understanding and mutual respect. A strong message should therefore emerge from this debate. The hateful slander of people on the basis of their culture or religion is unacceptable. It is an abuse of the right to freedom of expression. However, we must emphasize just as clearly that violence cannot be justified by insults, however understandable the outrage may be. Such ongoing events also tell us that we must reach many more people in our effort to promote the values of the United Nations around the globe.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)
“And they have shown us, once more, how indispensable the Organization is when it comes to assisting peoples that aspire to such freedom through democracy. Despite all the criticism, I am convinced that the United Nations has in recent years become more effective in delivering on its mandate. If we work together here, we will achieve results much more efficiently than through individual actions. Great opportunities lie ahead of us — let us accept the challenge.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The international community has many tools at its disposal to assist countries in reforming their systems of governance. We strongly support United Nations activities to promote the rule of law and combat corruption and make financial contributions to that end. There is no shortage of assistance and capacity-building programmes. What is needed is greater political will to actually make use of them. It is, however, the task of the United Nations to improve the manner in which rule-of-law assistance programmes are delivered and coordinated. We would welcome a stronger role for the Rule of Law Coordination and Resource Group in this regard, and hope that progress can be made at next year’s high-level meeting on the rule of law. The events of recent months have shown us once again how irresistible the call for freedom can be.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“They must fulfil that mandate even more effectively when faced with situations of sexual violence. Most important though, we must once and for all eradicate all instances of sexual abuse committed by peacekeepers themselves. It is not enough to simply repatriate Blue Helmet soldiers who have committed such crimes. Zero tolerance for sexual abuse must finally become a reality. Fifthly, have we done enough to address the root causes of the unrest in many countries, including poverty, unemployment, corruption, lack of freedom and human rights? Those root causes and the strong popular opposition against them, remind us of a simple truth: economic and social development are inextricably linked with good governance, human rights and the rule of law.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“But as some countries transition to a new era, women risk being left behind once again. The United Nations is often involved in transitional processes. It must ensure a strong role for women and apply a gender perspective. Most important, the United Nations must lead by example and appoint more women as leaders in mediation and other transitional processes. It was therefore with great pleasure that I signed the joint statement on advancing women’s political participation, earlier today. Regarding the protection of women and girls from sexual violence, we place high hopes in the new monitoring and reporting mechanism. Expert teams will help strengthen domestic accountability mechanisms. The greatest responsibility, however, lies with peacekeepers on the ground. They are mandated 3 11-51398 to go into harm’s way and protect civilians.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Over the long run, however, they are not only compatible, but mutually reinforcing. That message is sent around the globe upon each ratification of the Rome Statute. And we are particularly happy to note that the message has been sent 118 times so far, most recently by the Philippines and the Maldives. Fourthly, have we done enough to include women in efforts at conflict prevention and resolution and to make them agents of change, instead of bystanders? Have we done enough to protect them during conflict, in particular, from sexual violence? We have collectively sent strong signals in this regard. Liechtenstein particularly supports the Security Council’s work on women, peace and security. We welcome the new focus on the role of women brought about by the creation of UN-Women. Women have been a driving force in the Arab Spring.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Such actions involve highly intense, often heroic efforts, which deserve much stronger support from us as Member States. Mediation efforts are increasingly influenced by accountability mechanisms. The General Assembly itself acknowledged this fact in its first ever resolution on strengthening mediation, where it emphasized, that “justice is a fundamental building block of sustainable peace” (resolution 65/283, thirteenth preambular paragraph). In this new age of accountability, mediators can never offer amnesty from criminal prosecution or withdraw arrest warrants issued by the ICC. That is not only a matter of principle, but a matter of law. The ICC would never be bound by such promises. At times, the imperatives of peace and justice may compete with each other temporarily and make the mediator’s job more difficult.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“International mechanisms, such as the ICC, can and must only become active where States fail to live up to their responsibilities. Thirdly, how effective have we been in using mediation as a tool in the peaceful settlement of disputes? This topic, which was rightfully chosen as the central theme of the presidency, is at the very heart of the Organization’s mandate. We support the Secretary-General’s call to raise prevention from an abstract concept to a core operating principle. It is simply paradoxical that only a small fraction of the Secretariat’s resources is dedicated to mediation, while we spend $7 billion per year on peacekeeping. In many situations, the good offices provided by neutral and trusted actors, such as envoys of the Secretary-General, can make a real difference on the ground.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)