YouSaid · the spoken record

Valdas ADAMKUS

lines on the record: 70
first: 1998-09-24
most recent: 2008-09-24
sittings or episodes: 6
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 because the United Nations consists primarily not of the sum total of votes but of universal principles that those principles shall be a guiding light for us in the years to come. I still believe that that is the core mission of the Organization. I care deeply about it.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is through our commitment to change and reform that Lithuania has become what it is today: a consolidated democracy, a strong reformed economy and an active contributor to international peacekeeping missions from the Balkans to Afghanistan. I believe that we, the peoples of the United Nations, have to renew our commitment to universal values and principles, so that we march together and in the same direction and our steps become stronger. I believe that we must learn those lessons well, so that in another 10-years’ time we can celebrate not only the fulfilled promise of the Millennium Development Goals but also the fulfilled promise of creating lasting peace and an era of progress, prosperity and human integrity.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“But did we see efforts to create such an architecture in the Georgia-Russia conflict? What we saw instead were renewed attempts to divide the world into zones of influence or privileged interests. That should be unacceptable to the international community in the twenty-first century. Division and exclusion are bad remedies for conflict resolution. Conflict resolution in South Ossetia, Abkhazia and elsewhere should therefore be the responsibility of the international community and international institutions, not of one participating side, which hardly remains impartial. We also have to maintain commitments to value- based policies.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The philosophy of the balance of power, which is again growing popular in some capitals, has no place in contemporary Europe. And because security is indivisible, it is in the interest of the international community that the United Nations should play a greater role in strengthening preventive diplomacy and making the principle of the responsibility to protect work. The United Nations also has to be more responsive to emerging threats, such as unreliable energy supplies, fundamentalism and cyber attacks. It does not matter if the world is unipolar, bipolar or multipolar. Human life and human rights remain at the heart of our world. Only such a world can create a truly viable architecture among States — an architecture based on trust, openness and respect for human rights.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is my conviction that the interaction of, and cooperation among, different organizations — like the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, EU, NATO and the Council of Europe — have been, and should remain, the foundation for security and stability in Europe. There are difficulties and deficiencies; but there is no alternative, and new alternatives are not needed. I am therefore deeply 08-51606 8 worried by new calls to revise the institutional structure of European security, rather than to abide by commitments undertaken before the whole international community. Security based on cooperation should remain the basic principle of different European organizations and of international relations as a whole.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“If we are to reform the United Nations in a meaningful way, perhaps we should have a better look at the experience of European nations after the end of the Second World War and the end of the cold war. Based on that experience, it is obvious that we need to strengthen democracy at home in order to have good governance and responsible leadership. Perhaps responsible leaders will not protect us from all global challenges, but they will at least seek cooperation with their people and other nations to resolve their persisting problems. It is only through integration that truly indivisible security can be achieved. Indivisible security has special meaning and importance for smaller nations, which have all too often fallen victim to the redrawing of maps.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“But Lithuania and other nations of the former Soviet Union still have to fight against the revisionism seeping down from the Kremlin’s towers and the blatant claims that there was no occupation of the Baltic States and that there was no Holodomor in Ukraine, where millions of people were starved to death by a ruthless dictator. Should not an alarm bell ring across the entire international community when we see such bold attempts to cover up crimes against humanity? Today, my nation is commemorating the Day of Genocide of Lithuanian Jews. That tragedy is a powerful reminder to us all of the vulnerability of freedom, but it also teaches us that sincere efforts to admit one’s crimes help nations to reconcile and create a truly peaceful, secure and stable area. Therefore, on this solemn day we not only remember but we also learn.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It needs reform and a greater role in areas that will determine the future of the twenty-first century, such as energy, information security, anti-terrorism, the fight against fundamentalism and the like. How long will we continue with cold-war-era security definitions, closing our eyes to the less visible, but no less dangerous dangers of the twenty-first century? When 17 years ago, following the Soviet occupation, my country regained independence and joined the United Nations, we were told that never again would Molotovs and Ribbentrops dare to decide the future of other nations. Next year we will mark the seventieth anniversary of the shameful Molotov-Ribbentrop secret protocols.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“It is the very essence of the Organization’s mission to protect human life and human rights, but too often voting on human rights receives less and less support from Member States. Today, there are still about 26 million internally displaced persons in the world, including in the Sudan, Somalia, the South Caucasus nations of Georgia and Azerbaijan, and other places. Last year alone, we faced serious crises in different corners of the planet, including in Myanmar, the Sudan and Zimbabwe. The world needed United Nations leadership, but the Organization has not acted accordingly. That is because some States hide behind technicalities or the shield of national sovereignty, thereby paralysing the United Nations. It is quite evident that the United Nations cannot continue with business as usual.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Such a situation threatens the stability of the entire region. The United Nations cannot be a mere passive observer if, and when, universal values and international law are under threat. Too often, we remain observers in the face of mounting security crises. What happened to Georgia a few months ago is a case in point. The United Nations largely failed to react to an act of aggression against a small nation that has been a Member of the United Nations since 1992. Perhaps we failed to react because one of the interested sides to the conflict is a permanent member of the Security Council, which has the responsibility to protect both the letter and the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations and various United Nations resolutions. But maybe we also failed to react because our faith in the United Nations has weakened.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“The very structure of the international system seems to be fracturing, depriving us of the protection provided by international law and international institutions. In my region, in Eastern Europe and in the eastern neighbourhood of the European Union (EU), that is more obvious than anywhere else. 7 08-51606 Take energy security: oil supplies to Lithuania have been cut off without warning, and we do not stand a chance of conducting a normal civilized dialogue on how to fix the problem. Gas supplies were interrupted to our neighbours Ukraine and Belarus. In that light, and on the eve of closing down our only independent power generator, we have very serious reason to worry about the possible risks for the future of our economy. I would also say that other countries of our region also have concerns about unreliable energy supplies.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“First, I would like to express my great respect to the leadership of the General Assembly as it guides the Organization through global issues and challenges. When I stood at this podium 10 years ago, the list of issues to be urgently addressed was about the same, yet the mood was different. The Kyoto Protocol had just been signed and preparations for the Millennium Summit, including the drafting of the Millennium Development Goals, were under way. The international community, guided by the principles and the leadership of the United Nations, showed the will and the ambition to resolve global issues. But did we manage to turn that collective will into principled and decisive actions? I have to admit that many nations, big and small, have many more concerns today than they did a decade ago. Today we feel less secure.”
2008-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 63 (2008)
“Only such a United Nations will be trusted by the people. The ability to adapt is the quality of the strong. Fitting in is the least we can do for future generations. It is the responsibility of every nation and the international community as such.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Lithuania will also continue to increase practical assistance and funding to international mine action projects and the implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons. Two years have passed since the adoption of the World Summit Outcome, which elaborated on the concept of the responsibility to protect, and yet we have been too slow in responding to massive violations of human rights and mass atrocities. The principle of the responsibility to protect can no longer be confined to paper. We therefore encourage the Secretary-General to follow up on the World Summit document and take measures to operationalize that principle. Only a reformed and proactive United Nations will be truly instrumental and effective. Only such a United Nations will have the required support and financing.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“I encourage the United Nations to further strengthen, develop and use its capabilities in the area of good offices and conflict prevention, as envisioned in the 2005 World Summit Outcome (resolution 60/1). That would enable us to address many issues in a more efficient manner and, hopefully, to avoid costly peacekeeping operations. The prevention of nuclear proliferation and the pursuit of nuclear disarmament in accordance with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are crucial for global peace and security. We need to strengthen the authority of the Treaty. Lithuania will support the process leading to the elaboration of a binding international arms trade treaty.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is not only States, but also the United Nations itself that must adapt to new, changing realities. We encourage the Secretary-General to continue the reform of the United Nations, in particular making the Organization’s operational system more consolidated, coherent and effective, with the highest standards of conduct and ethics. We must proceed with real actions in carrying through the reform of the United Nations. The Secretary-General has my full support in this context. He should be applauded for his bold and forward-thinking vision of the reform in United Nations peacekeeping. We welcome all efforts by the United Nations to streamline and reform the peacekeeping procurement system.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Today conflicts occur on every continent, with particularly grave consequences in Africa and the Middle East. Some conflicts in the world, however, are less visible. But that does not make them less dangerous. Frozen conflicts in Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus may become very hot one day unless we act immediately. We consider it morally unacceptable for the international community to remain indifferent to the frozen conflicts in the GUAM area. Let us not forget that it is not only the conflicts that are frozen; the lives and dreams of the people living in those areas of artificial conflict are also frozen. That is where the United Nations should be more visible and more outspoken. That also applies to Kosovo, where attempts to create another frozen conflict must be excluded.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Clearly, we should not tolerate attempts to falsify historical facts about the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States or the denial of the deliberately caused Holodomor in Ukraine, which killed millions. Fitting in is never easy. Therefore, we consider that the United Nations could help Member States to efficiently integrate into the international system, as the European Union is already doing by engaging its neighbours in this process through various neighbourhood instruments and cooperation formats. However, our readiness to stand up and speak openly to States if they cross the line is also an indispensable element of that effort. We should ask ourselves: where did we fail, that the killings of hundreds of thousands of innocent people were permitted to take place in Darfur?”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Our contribution to global security and the vision of inclusiveness and of building a “Europe whole and free” motivated Lithuania to offer its candidacy for the chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 2010. If Lithuania and the Baltic region in general are a success story in terms of establishing themselves in a new global environment, some countries in our region are not. We may only guess why those countries perceive the integration of democracies on their borders as a national threat. We feel sorry for a society at large when its Government chooses to spend the country’s natural riches on guns and not on democratic reforms.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The necessity to fit in and effectively integrate into the international system has been the cornerstone of our policies since we regained our independence in 1990. Membership in the European Union and NATO is the best example of success in that effort. Now we are taking on increasing responsibility in the fields of security, stability and sustainability in our region and beyond. We are active at the front of the war against terrorism, including our contribution to restoring stability and security in Iraq. We are leading a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan’s Ghor province. Over the past two years, Lithuania has doubled its development aid budget and has committed to increasing it to 0.33 per cent of its gross national income by 2015.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Before such an agreement is reached, Lithuania is doing its best to fulfil the commitment of the European Union to achieve at least a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 compared to 1990 levels. We have started to focus on a wider use of indigenous and renewable energy resources. The share of these resources in the primary energy balance in Lithuania will increase up to 12 per cent by the year 2010. Last year alone, we planted 21,000 hectares of trees, an area that corresponds to 32,000 soccer fields. For a country the size of Lithuania, that is no small measure. These are but a few of the concrete steps by which my country shows political will sufficient to fight new global challenges.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“We believe that the United Nations climate change process is the appropriate forum for negotiating future global action in this effort. But that already may not be enough. I am convinced that the world needs a more coherent and inclusive system of international environmental governance. This system needs to be strengthened by establishing a United Nations Environment Organization, based on the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) with a revised mandate. With December’s Bali climate change conference in mind, I call on all countries to come to the negotiating table later this year with the ambition of concluding by 2009 a global and comprehensive post-2012 agreement.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Yet overall progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goals remains uneven and too slow. If we want to live up to our commitments, we must increase our efforts considerably and urgently. The twenty-first century has also confronted us with such challenges as a deteriorating environment. Global warming affects all aspects of our lives from social and economic growth to changing habitats and migration patterns. Time is clearly not on our side. We are taking measures to adapt our policies to counter climate change, but our actions are obviously too slow and sometimes too reluctant. Therefore, Lithuania welcomes the Secretary-General’s focus on climate change as a global challenge that requires global concerted efforts.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Therefore, both individual States and the international community have to find ways to deal with this new reality and how to respond better to new challenges. Seven years ago, at this United Nations conclave, all nations made a historic step, pledging to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and environmental degradation, and to improve health and promote gender equality. That was our response to the challenges of the time. This year, we are halfway to the 2015 deadline for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Over the past few years, an estimated 135 million people managed to get out of extreme poverty. Significant positive changes are taking place in the fields of primary education for poor children, child vaccination and better access to retroviral treatment for persons with HIV/AIDS, to name but a few.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“It is always inspiring to come to this forum and, time and again, observe that there are many more things that unite rather than divide nations around the globe. Indeed, we are united in our vision of a world free of violence, where every individual has freedom of choice and where human dignity is respected. We are united in our aspirations to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century, because we know that in a globalized world a threat to one nation is a threat to all nations. Nowhere is this new reality more evident than in the much-needed work of the United Nations. Poverty, imbalances in development, armaments, the spread of ideologies of hatred, cybercrime: those are some of the threats that we face today. The new, daunting challenges are different in kind.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Despite its flaws, the United Nations remains the only organization with the potential to embody a truly global and effective spirit of multilateralism. Therefore, whatever we do, we should continue to ask ourselves: are we, the Member States, doing enough to help the United Nations fulfil its promise to mankind? We are a world family and we have responsibilities to one another.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Lithuania has consistently supported reform, in terms of both membership and working methods. Enhancing the Council’s legitimacy through such reform will enable it to improve the discharge of its primary responsibilities vis-à-vis international peace and security. A renewed Security Council should give adequate voice and representation to all regions. As a member of the East European Group, Lithuania believes that this Group, too, deserves better representation on the future Security Council. Our collective experience of dramatic and peaceful transformation of our societies has a lot to offer. In this respect, we believe, our Group can offer an excellent candidate for the post of Secretary-General.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“If we want the United Nations to effectively deal with development challenges, counter new deadly threats and restore the value of human life to countless people around the world, an ongoing change is a must. I therefore urge the United Nations to continue in the vital areas of management reform and mandates review in order to increase the Organization’s efficiency and effectiveness for the benefit of all. We also urge strengthening of international environmental governance and translating the World Summit agreement on the collective responsibility to protect into a willingness to act, when such action is needed, and ending impunity for the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. A vital element of the United Nations renewal is the issue of Security Council reform.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“As we pursue the commitments already undertaken, we must look beyond tomorrow to be able to empower the United Nations to deal successfully with the challenging diversity of issues and concerns of all our nations. It is natural that in debating such vital issues as the reform of the United Nations, we, the Member States, have disagreements. However, we should also remember that, while we discuss our disagreements here in New York, millions of the poorest are suffering from degrading starvation, millions of children are dying from preventable diseases, and millions of people have nothing to rely on but the United Nations to protect them.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“As a new donor country, we know that it will take time to measure up to the high expectations in the field. We provide increasing amounts of advice and assistance, in more and more places. Over the past year alone, our development aid has grown by 60 per cent. We are determined to further increase our aid and diversify its geography. We remember what it meant to receive help when we needed it, and we know and accept the responsibility to now help others in our turn. Only a comprehensive approach can ensure that the inextricable link between security, development, and human rights that we all agreed on will translate into a real and positive impact on the lives of countless millions of human beings around the world.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Compliance with the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty and the relevant Security Council resolutions is a key to global security. We therefore call on all States to exercise full compliance in this area, vital to our common peace and security. At the same time, security, as it is typically defined, has a broader meaning now. We should deal with climate change, energy security and dire water or food shortages with equal attention. We must be firm in our common fight against terrorism, but we must be just as firm in fighting poverty and upholding the dignity of the individual. We need to put the available resources to the best possible use, such as ensuring significant progress in the implementation of the internationally agreed upon Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Lithuania is proud to follow up on these commitments.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“To succeed in our fight against terrorism, we must not yield to fears that separate; instead, we must build on our common humanity. We therefore hope the Alliance of Civilizations will become an integral part of our interaction, promoting solidarity, inclusion and understanding and reinforcing the values and principles which extremists seek to undermine. Furthermore, we should redouble our efforts to tackle the issue of disarmament and non-proliferation. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the 06-53005 8 challenges to non-proliferation continue to mount. Lithuania strongly supports the strengthening of the effectiveness and efficiency of the IAEA Safeguards System.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Let us make this a reality by pooling our efforts and contributing to this cause today, not tomorrow. The two States of Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace is our goal. Few security issues are as dramatic as terrorism, with its indiscriminate targeting of civilian lives in an ever-expanding geography. Five years ago, the people of this very city suffered a brutal and cold-blooded attack on the values of humanity and tolerance that forever changed the world as we knew it. It is therefore essential that we unite our efforts to ensure that this never happens again. We welcome the Assembly’s adoption of the United Nations Global Anti-Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288), and we call for the completion of work on a comprehensive convention on international terrorism as soon as possible and for its being put into practice.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Today, we welcome an increasing Afghan capacity to rebuild the country, and we are encouraged by the expansion of the International Security Assistance Force area of responsibility. On the other hand, the challenges ahead will require ever-increasing focus and further efforts on the ground. The tragic events in the Middle East over the past 12 months have vividly demonstrated the human and financial costs of inability to reach compromises and final solutions regarding problems that have divided societies and poisoned the region for long years. Thus, the effective promotion of a comprehensive peace plan in the Middle East is topical as never before. Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and major donor conferences offer hope for the development of a sovereign and strong Lebanon.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The Peacebuilding Commission brings renewed hope that post-conflict countries can avoid slipping back into chaos. But institutions alone do not count if they are not supported by political will. Strong international commitment is necessary in offering hope of a better life wherever nations are struggling to get back on their feet. Lithuania’s lead in a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Afghanistan has given us first-hand understanding of the vital importance of the sustainability and continuity of such efforts. However, whether in Afghanistan or elsewhere, our efforts will be successful only to the extent that the nations themselves are fully engaged in post-conflict State- building and rational, market-sound economic development.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The previous session of the General Assembly created high expectations for reform and comprehensive renewal that would ensure the continued success and relevance of the United Nations well into the twenty-first century. Thanks to the initiatives launched by the Secretary-General, today we have the Peacebuilding Commission; the Central Emergency Response Fund; the recognition of a collective responsibility to protect, where a State fails to protect its citizens from genocide and crimes against humanity; and a new Human Rights Council. Lithuania is committed to work to ensure that the new Human Rights Council can strengthen the protection and promotion of human rights around the world. It is said that State-building is a long and difficult process. That is precisely why United Nations assistance in this area is much needed.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“It is my hope and wish that by the end of this session we shall arrive at marking the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations with the conviction and satisfaction that we have done everything in our power to build a better Organization, one capable of responding to both old and new, hard and soft, threats and challenges in an effective and comprehensive way. Fully aware that the United Nations was created to serve humankind, let us embrace this challenge. Let us bring to fruition the promise that the United Nations is capable of fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the peoples for whom it was created.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“32 I hope, too, that next year will be crucial in moving ahead with the long-debated reform of the Security Council. The issue is not whether the Security Council should be enlarged. It is how to make it effective and representative. Therefore, Lithuania fully embraces the idea of ensuring broader representation and responsibility for the Security Council. In addition, the Economic and Social Council must be renewed and strengthened. By dedicating ourselves to Economic and Social Council reform we have a real chance to make it an effective tool in the hands of active and responsible United Nations members.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Our membership in the enlarged European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance enables us to play a more active role by embracing the principles of development policy and by adopting the role of a donor. Next year we will discuss how to find consensus on the institutional and political framework for the United Nations to operate in the future. Lithuania fully embraces the need for reform of the United Nations for the sake of enhancing its effectiveness and inclusiveness. We hope that the outcome of the deliberations of the High-Level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change will be able to contribute significantly to giving a renewed impetus to the reform of the United Nations. If so, the next test will be to find broad agreement on changes and follow their implementation.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We need to press ahead with the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals. We need to reinforce our political will to make our global partnership more effective, by fully honouring the commitments undertaken by the Monterrey Consensus. Without peace there is no development. Without development there is no peace. This recognized linkage of security and development should be better reflected in our global agenda. Only by confronting these issues in a coherent and coordinated manner shall we be able to build our common future. Lithuania is ready to contribute bilaterally and multilaterally to the implementation of the Millennium Goals, and by sharing our experience of a national reform process.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We must also be firm in our struggle against all attempts to encroach upon human dignity, against all forms and manifestations of intolerance, anti-Semitism, racism or Islamophobia. The international community is vulnerable to the dangers posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, international organized crime, environmental degradation and the spread of highly dangerous diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. Our common efforts against these and other threats must be universal, consistent, systematic and unwavering. No less universal and consistent must be our efforts to reduce poverty and hunger, to diminish disparities between and within nations, to improve living conditions for women and children and to offer a hope of a dignified life to ever-larger segments of the world’s population, as pledged in the Millennium Declaration.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“As the nature of threats before us is changing and new responses are needed, it is high time to agree on future policies and principles. Today we need to build a shared understanding of the nature of modern threats to international peace and security. Much depends on the ability of the United Nations — that is, on us — to reach a new consensus on collective security. Our strength lies in our resolve to deal collectively with major challenges to peace, security and sustainable development. Today, more than ever before, the United Nations has to play the leading role in building societies that follow the path of good governance, respect human rights and the rule of law. We must be able to intervene and to prevent situations of massive human rights violations.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“In Iraq, the hope for universal and free elections is marred by almost daily explosions, and security remains too precarious for the United Nations to resume its pivotal role. The Middle East conflict continues taking its desperate death toll. And the word genocide is once again on our lips owing to the Darfur crisis in Sudan. Therefore, we need to go the extra mile, to make extra efforts to empower the United Nations to deal successfully with these and other threats and challenges, because the United Nations, despite all the criticism, remains the only Organization capable of embodying the principles of a truly global and effective multilateralism. The United Nations can offer the global reach and legitimacy necessary to enable the international community to act.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Threats such as terrorism recognize no borders, no differentiation by race, religion, or ethnicity. The horror, devastation and fear that terrorism brings are 31 the same whether in Casablanca, Madrid, New York, Jerusalem or Beslan. Terrorism cannot be justified. And there can be no excuses and no leniency in confronting it. The fight against terrorism must remain one of the priority tasks of individual Member States and of the United Nations. Even as we speak, humanitarian crises, poverty, famine and disease continue to plague large parts of the world. Across the globe, almost a billion people survive on less than a dollar a day. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, around 300 million people live in abject poverty.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“Allow me to express my sincere thanks to the President of the General Assembly at its previous session, Julian Hunte, whose able and skilful leadership we enjoyed during the past session. I also wish the President at the fifty-ninth session, Jean Ping, a year of highly constructive and successful work. It is our common duty to make this fifty-ninth session a success and a fitting preparation for the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations and the first high-level review of the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, to be held next year. I believe these two occasions will offer an excellent framework for a serious review of how the changing global situation can be met by a renewed United Nations. The risks and challenges of the new millennium affect us all and can be tackled only by common efforts.”
2004-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 59 (2004)
“We admire the way the American people have gone through this tragedy, and we support the United States of America in its efforts to eliminate threats to international security and human freedom. Let us debate, talk things out and make full use of diplomatic measures. But we must be ready to act decisively when strategic realities demand defence of freedom and democracy.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“Good governance is a good starting point for all of us, irrespective of our cultural diversity or fundamental differences of history and geography. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who devoted much time to the planning of this multilateral institution known as the United Nations, once said, “We have learned that we cannot live alone, at peace; that our own well-being is dependent on the well-being of other nations far away.” Thus, the real strength of our power as an international community continues to lie in the power of our resolve to deal with the critical issues. Yesterday in this great city of New York, we paid our respects to the victims of 11 September 2001.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“22 Last but not least, I would like to underscore the importance of international and regional cooperation in non-proliferation and arms control. It has always been Lithuania's firm policy to take part in all relevant, effective and functional multilateral arms control and confidence-building regimes that are open to us and that correspond to our national security interests. This year, Lithuania has applied for membership in the Treaty on Open Skies. We will also seek to join the adapted Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe after it comes into force and is open to all European democracies. Each and every State Member of the United Nations should make a positive contribution to international security and stability, first and foremost by respecting the rule of law and the human rights of its citizens.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“It should give us the courage and determination to work together as an international community in addressing the roots of terrorism; in responding decisively to non- compliance with Security Council resolutions and to gross violations of internationally recognized norms and behaviour; in fighting terror worldwide; and in keeping weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists. It is regrettable, therefore, that a Member of this great body, the United Nations, does not uphold its commitments or the underlying principles of this Organization. The Iraqi regime must allow unrestricted access to United Nations inspectors so that they can resume their work. We should exert all possible pressure to ensure this. Indeed, this is a test case with respect to the international community's solidarity and unity.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)
“In particular, I would like to mention the conference against terrorism — a Polish initiative — that was held in Warsaw last November. Our countries are determined to act and cooperate further, thus strengthening European and global security. In the face of common threats, solidarity must emerge as a consolidating driving force in global diplomacy. The tragedy of 11 September was an experience that reinforced and strengthened our common resolve to combat and counter terrorism.”
2002-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 57 (2002)