YouSaid · the spoken record

Jean ASSELBORN

lines on the record: 228
first: 2004-09-24
most recent: 2017-09-24
sittings or episodes: 11
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

“In that regard, allow me to congratulate the homeland of the President of the General Assembly, Antigua and Barbuda, on having ratified the Treaty. I also welcome the fact that more than 110 States Members of the United Nations, including the United States of America, have already signed this new legal instrument. The Arms Trade Treaty is a significant step forward for international law, international humanitarian law and human rights. In that context, I welcome yesterday’s important Security Council debate on the impact of the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons on international peace and security (see S/PV.7036), as well as its adoption of resolution 2117 (2013).”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The United Nations should give its full logistical and financial support to this African-led mission. Our credibility is at stake. We all know the disastrous effects of the unregulated trade in conventional arms — violent repression, armed conflict, crime and widespread violence. That is why the Arms Trade Treaty is so important. The General Assembly adopted the Treaty by a very large margin five months ago. Luxembourg is proud to have been among the first sponsors of that important initiative. We are proud to have signed the Treaty as soon as it was ready for signature on 3 June. The national ratification procedure has started, and members can count on our support to ensure that the Treaty comes rapidly into full force.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Law and order and the rule of law have collapsed. Human rights violations have become commonplace, as have arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence against women and children, rape and extrajudicial executions. According to our sources, Séléka militias have also recruited and used at least 3,500 child soldiers. No one can be indifferent to those figures. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate. The prevailing insecurity has further reduced access to the affected populations. We must act immediately. Restoring security and law and order must be our first priority. We strongly welcome the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council to authorize the deployment of an international support mission to the Central African Republic.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The parties must fulfil all their commitments diligently and in good faith, including a commitment neither to tolerate nor to provide assistance or support of any kind to armed groups, in particular the Mouvement du 23 mars, which continues to operate in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We must tackle the root causes of recurring violence and lay the foundation for reviving the regional economy in order to initiate a virtuous circle that will allow the people of the region to start down the the path towards sustainable development. The commitment of the international community is all the more necessary in a situation that, regrettably, has received far less attention. I am referring to the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in the Central African Republic, affecting the entire population of 4.6 million people.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“This imperative also applies to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region. We dearly hope that the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region, signed on 24 February in Addis Ababa, represents a turning point for consolidating peace and regional stability. The second meeting of the Regional Oversight Mechanism, held at the level of the Heads of State and Government on Monday in New York City, led to the adoption of regional benchmarks and indicators on progress, which will facilitate the implementation of the Framework. This is an important first step. It must be followed by concrete action at the political, security and economic levels.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The time has come to implement the two-State solution. This is no time for unilateral acts that fuel the dynamic of mistrust. Building illegal settlements and destroying Palestinian homes and infrastructure in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem, must stop immediately. The attacks on Gaza must stop. All violence must stop. With its partners in the European Union, Luxembourg stands ready to pursue its active contribution to the ongoing efforts, in close cooperation with key stakeholders, the Quartet and countries in the region. There can be no security in Israel without a viable Palestinian State. There can be no security in the region without peace in all countries of the Middle East. We must shake up the status quo. We must break the cycle of violence.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“I welcome the commitment and resolve of the Secretary of State of the United States, John Kerry, to restart direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. I also praise the political courage and the sense of responsibility shown by the Israeli and Palestinian authorities in accepting to return to the negotiating table. Eight rounds have been held since 14 August. We hope that the negotiations will intensify in October and lead to a result within the agreed time frame of nine months. We all know that this initiative is probably our last opportunity to act. We must not let it slip away. If we do, it could lead to dramatic consequences. The time has come to make difficult decisions, to take the necessary historic measures in line with the long-term interests of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Here too, let us live up to our responsibilities; let us seize the momentum created by the agreement on chemical weapons, set a date for the “Geneva II” conference, and encourage the parties to participate therein in order to start down a road, on the basis of the Geneva communiqué of 30 June 2012 (S/2012/523, annex), leading to a cessation of hostilities and to a necessary political transition in Syria that meets the legitimate aspirations of the Syrian people. Tragic as it may be, the situation in Syria must not lead us to forget the plight of the Palestinian people. We must not forget the urgent need to see the creation of a contiguous and viable Palestinian State, living in peace and security, side by side with the State of Israel.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“For its part, Luxembourg has fulfiled the pledges it made in Kuwait City on 30 January last, and we have just decided to increase our humanitarian aid to the populations affected by the Syrian crisis to €7.6 million. The vigorous appeal made on Tuesday by the Secretary-General should resonate with all of us. Let us break our deafening silence and live up to our collective and individual responsibilities. We all agree that a lasting solution to the conflict in Syria can only be political.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Luxembourg is working with Australia to amplify the demands of humanitarian actors to the parties to the conflict in Syria and to secure them in a unified message from the Security Council. I hope that those efforts will come to fruition very soon. While we have been able to make progress in past few days on the issue of chemical weapons, and I hope we will adopt, a few hours from now a Security Council resolution establishing a strong and binding mechanism to ensure the control and destruction of the Syrian chemical weapons as soon as possible. Yet we cannot and must not forget the humanitarian crisis that continues to unfold in Syria and its neighbouring countries, particularly Lebanon and Jordan but also in Iraq and Turkey.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“Allow me to quote High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres: “Syria has become the great tragedy of this century — a disgraceful humanitarian calamity with suffering and displacement unparalleled in recent history”. The Syrian people need assistance now, and they have the right to such assistance under the most basic criteria codified in international humanitarian law. The Syrian authorities must urgently meet the demands of humanitarian actors by immediately facilitating their free and unimpeded access to the affected populations. It is urgent to remove bureaucratic obstacles, to ensure the delivery of medical supplies, to institute humanitarian pauses, to open up humanitarian routes and to allow access to populations in need across borders and across conflict lines.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“To live free from fear, conflict and violence is the most fundamental human right, and yet we witness unspeakable violations of human rights and international humanitarian law every single day. The use of missiles, bombs, cluster munitions and chemical weapons, the systematic imposition of sieges, forced displacements, torture, sexual violence, violations and abuses committed against children, more than 2 million refugees, more than 100,000 dead — these are the chilling results of two and a half years of brutal repression and conflict in Syria. The list of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on a daily basis continues to grow. Against such horror, I repeat once again that the situation in Syria must be referred to the International Criminal Court.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“The President of the General Assembly has chosen for this session and this general debate the theme “The post- 2015 development agenda: setting the stage”. He has thus called on the Assembly to be bold and ambitious, to work together towards the same objective, to prove to the world that we will not accept defeat, and to exert our collective responsibility in order to eradicate poverty and promote sustainable development. Luxembourg stands ready to do so. We are ready to work towards a renewed global partnership based on a common understanding of our shared humanity, on a new spirit of solidarity, cooperation and mutual accountability, and on coordinated action that embraces security, development, governance, human rights and the rule of law.”
2013-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 68 (2013)
“On the contrary, they should encourage us to redouble efforts to continue to act together in furthering the ideals and values of our Organization and its Charter, to fight together against terrorism and for a better and safer future for generations to come, for development and respect for human rights, for democracy and the rule of law. That is our joint responsibility: the responsibility to prevent, to preserve and to protect. Luxembourg stands ready to shoulder its responsibilities and to continue to work for an effective multilateralism, including — if the Assembly affords us the opportunity — as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2013-2014.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I can assure the Assembly that Luxembourg will continue its efforts to that end at the national, regional and international levels. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, whose tenth anniversary we have just commemorated, were attacks against not only the United States, the host country of our Organization, but against all of us, against our values and principles, our convictions and beliefs. Our Organization itself has become the target of cowardly attacks. Such despicable acts must not, however, lead us to turn inward.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“They affect all of us and are having an increasingly preponderant impact on developing countries. The response to this challenge of epidemic proportions must be global and universal. I therefore commend the initiative on the part of the Caribbean Community countries to put this subject on the General Assembly’s agenda and to publicize, beyond the medical community, the scope and impact of the crisis in non-communicable diseases, including in development terms. There is no question that the debate in the High-level Meeting on the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, the round tables and the various side events held in the last few days have allowed us to reach that goal. We should now fully implement the commitments undertaken in the Political Declaration (resolution 66/2, annex).”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Since the adoption of the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, Luxembourg, together with its European partners, has made binding commitments to reduce its carbon emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Luxembourg is also contributing to the fast start finance initiative in order to tackle climate change. I should stress that these resources are new and additional to our official development assistance. Among the numerous other challenges that require a coordinated and collective response, I should like to mention one in particular: the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable 11-51378 4 diseases not only cost 36 million human lives every year; they also result in significant losses to national revenue and pull millions of people below the poverty line.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We no longer need to prove the close link between security and development. For Luxembourg, the links between security and climate change are equally obvious. As the Secretary-General observed, climate change must be seen as a threat multiplier. Luxembourg’s commitment to combating climate change, including through the Group of Friends created here in New York for that purpose, is also part of our strategy for preventing conflicts before climate change makes them worse. In that context, my country offers support and technical assistance to small island developing States, particularly those in the Pacific, whose existence is threatened by climate change.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“With our European Union partners, we will do everything in our power to contribute ensuring that the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), which will take place in Brazil less than a year from now, in June 2012, is truly successful. Rio+20 must set a range of ambitious goals that will ensure that we stay on track with sustainable development and preserve future generations’ ability to live on our planet. Sustainable development, in its three elements — economic, social and environmental — has long been at the centre of Luxembourg’s development cooperation policy. I am happy to say that Luxembourg has managed to maintain and even increase its efforts in terms of official development assistance, which in 2010 reached 1.09 per cent of our gross national product.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Both at the bilateral level and in its capacity as a member of the European Union, Luxembourg sees conflict prevention and providing support in post- conflict situations as being at the heart of its activity abroad, primarily through multilateral instruments, with the United Nations, naturally, first and foremost among them. The challenges we face are not limited to political conflicts but also concern economic, social and environmental transformation. Let us remember that the Arab Spring began with an act of social protest. We therefore agree entirely with the priority that the President intends to give during his mandate to sustainable development, poverty eradication and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“My country is deeply convinced of the relevance of a broad and multidimensional approach to peacebuilding. Luxembourg is proud to be an active contributor to the work of the Peacebuilding Commission, notably as Chair of the country-specific configuration for Guinea established this February. Our priority is to support the authorities in Conakry in the areas of national reconciliation, security sector reform and employment for women and young people. Since 2010 Luxembourg, in its national capacity, has been supporting mediation conducted by the Community of Sant’Egidio between the main political and civil society actors in Guinea.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The events over the past year in North Africa, the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa remind us of the importance of a United Nations Organization with solid means for prevention and mediation, for peacekeeping and peacebuilding. Conflict prevention is one of the principal obligations set out in the Charter of the United Nations. Primary responsibility for that belongs to Member States, but no State can act alone. Each must be able to count on the support of the rest. At the 2005 World Summit, we all committed to promoting a culture of prevention, and we put in place important new tools and mechanisms. The Peacebuilding Commission, by uniting all concerned actors and formulating integrated strategies, is an essential element of these.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“I fully support the proposal made yesterday by the Quartet for a strict timetable: one month to agree on the agenda and modalities of the negotiations, and no more than a year to reach a comprehensive agreement. 3 11-51378 I appeal to the parties to show proof of their political will and ability to make the necessary compromises and sacrifices so that by the end of 2012 peace in the Middle East finally becomes a reality. From this rostrum, I reiterate firmly that the restart of negotiations cannot again stumble over cement and stones, and I dare believe that the Israeli Government knows that. In their efforts both now and in the future, the parties can count on the nations of the European Union, including my country, Luxembourg.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We all heard Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s vibrant appeal yesterday, his call for recognition of the his people’s legitimate right to a State and for acceptance of the aspirations of Palestine to have a seat in the Assembly and to fully assume its place among the nations of the world. I can only hope that his appeal will be heard. Israel’s legitimate desire to live for the long term in security depends on the realization of the right of the Palestinians to live in dignity in their sovereign State. But merely responding to this appeal is not enough. It is imperative that negotiations between the two parties start again as soon as possible. Only negotiations will allow tackling the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The parameters for a settlement have been known for a long time.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Peace, security, dignity — these are also key words when we talk about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the right of two peoples to live in peace, security and dignity. A solution to this conflict, which has lasted too long and has poisoned the entire region, must necessarily be reached through the recognition of the right of both parties — not just one of them — to live in a sovereign and viable State. This is unfortunately not yet the case, despite the hope inspired by the courageous words of President Obama at this very rostrum last year (see A/65/PV.11). On the contrary, we have seen neither a halt to the illegal construction of settlements, nor a significant lifting of the embargo on the Gaza strip. The revival of direct peace talks was short-lived.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“In other countries in the region, people must, alas, continue to struggle to achieve respect for their fundamental freedoms. In Syria, the regime continues to conduct a brutal campaign against its own population. Every appeal, including that of the Secretary-General, to end the violence and repression has so far remained unanswered. As the Human Rights Council on 23 August decided, commendably, to send urgently an independent international commission of inquiry to Syria, the Security Council should also assume its responsibility in the matter. The credibility of the United Nations as a moral force, one that protects civilian populations and their rights, is at stake. Equally at stake is the capacity of the United Nations to be present in crises, revolts and disasters that assault peoples’ dignity and threaten their very existence.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Together with our European Union partners, we stand ready to support Libya on its path to democracy and to help the National Transitional Council in its immense task of establishing a new State, in which human rights are respected and every element of society can find a place. As Mr. Jean Ping, who was President of the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session, put it so well in Paris on 1 September, Africa will benefit enormously from the emergence of a democratic Libya, at peace with itself and with its neighbours. We will all benefit from it. In Tunisia and in Egypt, the people have also prevailed in their quests for liberty and the rewriting of the social contract, in the face of the supporters of their former regimes.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“We did not want once again to be the powerless witnesses of large-scale violence. Our Organization was able to react and demonstrate its capacity to act in a decisive, timely and just manner. The General Assembly suspended Libya from the Human Rights Council. Acting within the remit of Chapter VII of the Charter, the Security Council authorized all measures necessary to protect the population and civilian areas under threat of attack. The Council was able to act so decisively because the international community, and the region in particular, supported its action. The Arab League played a very important role in this regard, which I heartily commend. Today, thanks to their courage and the resolute support of the international community, the Libyan people are free to choose their future.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“A few days ago, in recognizing the full powers of Libya’s National Transitional Council, the Assembly blessed, in a way, the end of Colonel Al-Qadhafi’s dictatorial regime, one that suffocated the whole of Libyan society for 42 years and did not hesitate to use 11-51378 2 heavy weapons against its own population without discrimination, trampling on its people’s aspirations for freedom. The international community had to react, to assume its responsibility to protect Libyan men, women and children who were under fire — and who, unfortunately, are still under fire in Sirte and Bani Walid. We did not want to reproach ourselves yet again for having hesitated too long, for having neglected our responsibility to protect those unable to defend themselves against the cruelty of their own authorities.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“The international community stands ready to support both countries. The development of the Sudan and support of the new State of South Sudan on its path to viability, stability and prosperity are tasks that we must all tackle together and cooperatively. The European Union is actively engaged. Luxembourg fully supports its efforts and is also committed bilaterally, particularly regarding demining activities to help remove the vestiges of a war that was so long that it has marked several generations of Sudanese.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“More than 98 per cent of the electorate voted for the independence to which the southern part of Africa’s largest country had aspired for so long. Luxembourg is proud to have recognized South Sudan on 9 July, even before the historic moment of its admission to the United Nations. The independence of South Sudan is a testament to the willingness of the two parties in the long Sudanese conflict to implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. It is now up to both parties to show the same willingness to implement new agreements to address the issues of good-neighbourly relations between the Sudan and South Sudan. The two Sudans, and their peoples first of all, will benefit if the relationship finally becomes a constructive one, allowing for socio-economic development on a new basis.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“Luxembourg is very pleased that the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, was able for the first time to address this Assembly on behalf of the European Union (see ), and I align myself fully with his statement. Never before has the United Nations been so indispensable; never before have expectations of it been so great. We are going through a period of great turbulence; a period, as the Secretary-General has said, burdened by great difficulties, but also rich in opportunity for the progress of humankind. It is our duty to respond to the expectations placed on us by all those across the world who seek peace, security and dignity. On 9 July 2011 a new State was born before the eyes of the entire world. In January, during their referendum on independence, the people of South Sudan spoke loudly and clearly.”
2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)
“It is also expressed in our bid for a non- permanent seat in the Security Council for the period 2013 to 2014. The commitment of Luxembourg is also a European one, as I have just said. By strengthening its capabilities and the increased synergy of its instruments following the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union is now more than ever ready to be an active, effective and supportive actor for the United Nations in all areas in which the Organization is active. The European Union wants to be such an active and supportive partner. Hence the importance we attach to a resolution regulating the effective participation of the European Union in the work of our Organization. It is only together in the United Nations that we can help build a better future for all.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“I have no doubt that she will demonstrate a dynamic and unwavering commitment to serve women and girls worldwide. She will be able to rely on the full support of my country, which has for many years pursued an integrated gender approach and an active policy of promoting gender equality, including in the area of development cooperation. As you rightly pointed out, Sir, when you were elected to the presidency on 11 June (see A/64/PV.93), our primary task is to work together to find constructive solutions for the dignity, safety and security and well-being of all. My country is ready to continue to play its part at the national level, but also as a member of the European Union. The willingness of Luxembourg to assume its national responsibilities can be seen in the concrete examples that I have just given.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“However, we should consider how we can make its results more tangible at the country level in order to allow other countries to benefit from its achievements and face emerging challenges. Our goals must meet the expectations of post-conflict societies and peoples. In that regard, I welcome the recent decision to include Liberia on the Commission’s agenda. We also need to overcome the systemic fragmentation that has gradually developed since the establishment of the Organization and enhance system- wide coherence. An important step in that direction was taken this year with the establishment of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). I would like to warmly welcome the appointment of Ms. Michelle Bachelet as head of UN Women.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Ensuring an adequate place for small States, which now represent the vast majority of the Organization’s Member States, is paramount in this regard. We must review the instruments at our disposal, be it peacekeeping operations, to which I referred previously, the Peacebuilding Commission or the Human Rights Council, including the necessary integration of human rights in all aspects of United Nations action. The Peacebuilding Commission represents a key asset for the operational capacity of the international community in the vast peace agenda. Luxembourg fully supports the philosophy behind the Commission and is actively involved in the Guinea-Bissau configuration. The Commission has begun to prove its usefulness.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Next week, together with other partners, my country will hold a symposium in Boston on an arms trade treaty. All United Nations Member States have been invited to participate. We hope thereby to contribute to the discussion and consideration of this important issue. If we believe in the relevance of a multilateral approach based on the United Nations, we must give the Organization the means to be the centre of multilateral action and a real catalyst for change. We need to push for decisive internal reforms, including, I believe, reform of the Security Council. We are all 10-54959 38 aware of the need for Council reform to make it more inclusive and more representative of today’s realities, as well as more effective and more transparent.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In that regard, I welcome the entry into force, on 1 August 2010, of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions. At the national level, Luxembourg, which was among the first countries to sign and ratify the Convention, has also prohibited the funding of cluster munitions. The progress made towards a legally binding arms trade instrument under the auspices of the United Nations is also to be welcomed. The problems linked to the unregulated trade in conventional weapons and the diversion of those weapons into illicit markets have the potential to fuel instability, organized crime and terrorism, thereby jeopardizing peace, security and sustainable economic and social development. Hence the importance of finally adopting a binding instrument in this field.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It will now be important to maintain the political momentum and to ensure the full implementation of the decisions taken, including that relating to the holding by 2012 of a conference on a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. I am certain that progress in this area will not remain without implications for other actors and for other issues. In addition, as I had the opportunity to say yesterday at the ministerial meeting on revitalizing the work of the Conference on Disarmament convened by the Secretary-General, we must continue our efforts at both nuclear and conventional disarmament. The constant search for security at the lowest possible level of armaments will make an essential contribution to stability in the world.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Together with our European and African partners, we intend to continue our support for the Djibouti peace process and for the search for a lasting political solution. Allow me for a moment to address another issue that I believe it is important not to overlook when discussing ways to guarantee and strengthen peace, security and stability at the international level: disarmament and non-proliferation. The success of the eighth Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, held here in New York in May, brought us closer to our common goal of a world safer for all and free of nuclear weapons.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Only a comprehensive approach will put an end to the terrorist threat that armed groups pose to Somalia, the subregion and the entire international community, as well as permanently eradicating piracy and establishing the rule of law in Somalia. My country seeks to play its full effective role in the global efforts to resolve the crisis in Somalia. To that end, Luxembourg actively participates in Operation Atalanta to deter, prevent and suppress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, as well as in the military mission to help train security forces of the Transitional Federal Government — two operations launched by the European Union in support of Security Council decisions.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“It is our collective responsibility to help the Sudan steer through this critical period and carry out a process that at last leads to lasting peace for its people. We must ensure that the elections are conducted in a transparent and peaceful manner, regardless, of course, of the outcome. Increased efforts are also needed to support the current initiatives of the African Union and the United Nations towards a political solution involving all parties in Darfur in order to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, justice and reconciliation. The continuing violence in Darfur threatens the stability of the whole of the Sudan and of the larger region. A comprehensive approach is also needed in Somalia, a country that has for too long been synonymous with civil war and bloody conflict.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“In that context, I welcome the launching by the Secretary-General of an international investigation into last May’s incident involving the aid flotilla en route to Gaza. A full, honest, impartial, balanced and transparent investigation consistent with 37 10-54959 international standards is of great importance. It also, of course, entails the credibility of our Organization. In the Sudan, the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement is entering its final phase with the referendum on the self-determination of Southern Sudan and Abyei. After more than two decades of confrontation, the prospects for a settlement are taking shape at last. The road ahead nevertheless remains fraught with difficulties.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“They are illegal, contrary to international law and clearly constitute an obstacle to peace. Why is that so? While the material fact of building on another person’s land is in itself to be condemned, it is also a symbol of domination and humiliation that cannot be accepted. As a European, I am heartened that the European Union persists in its strong unanimous call for a prolongation of the moratorium beyond next Sunday, 26 September 2010. President Obama’s position is clearly and unambiguously along the same lines. Meanwhile, it will be of paramount importance to find a lasting solution for the situation in Gaza and to revive its economy. The blockade continues. I hope that the calls by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East will at last be heard.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“The resumption of direct talks between Israelis and Palestinians on 2 September 2010, however, once again gives me hope that we will finally reach a final settlement that ends the occupation that began in 1967 and leads to the birth of an independent, democratic, viable and contiguous Palestinian State living in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours. I genuinely hope that the call by President Obama to work to achieve a Palestinian State in 2011 will become a reality. However, we must not be distracted by the enemies of peace and those who seek to sabotage peace talks. It will be important for both parties to show determination, courage, calm and restraint, and to act solely according to international law. Hence the importance of ending all settlement activities.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“As I said at the Review Conference of the Rome Statute, held in Kampala in May, combating impunity for the most serious crimes should not be an abstract goal any longer, but become a tangible and concrete reality. All of us must cooperate to ensure success in that regard. Year after year, in this very forum, we express our hope to see peace established in the Middle East. We once again call for a solution based on the coexistence of two States, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. We urge the parties to assume their responsibility to create through their actions the framework for a lasting settlement of the conflict. To date, as we know, such calls have mostly been in vain.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“While the primary responsibility for the safety and safety of its citizens and for combating poverty and establishing the rule of law lies within the Congolese Government, the international community must do everything possible to support that Government in its efforts to ensure that those responsible for these horrendous crimes are actively sought out, tried and punished. Combating impunity must also lead us to be far more attentive to the report on violations of human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1993 and 2003, the publication of which the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has announced for 1 October 2010.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“Those atrocities compel us to urgently continue the debate on the future of peacekeeping operations and to overcome our differences and divisions on this particular issue. They also serve to underscore once again the importance of substantial United Nations action to eradicate the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. In that regard, I welcome the appointment of Ms. Margot Wallström as Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict. In this, the tenth anniversary year of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, such heinous acts and flagrant violations of human rights can no longer be tolerated. Impunity must also be brought to an end.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“With more than 120,000 men and women deployed, peacekeeping operations have reached an unprecedented scale in recent years. While the stabilizing role of United Nations forces is undeniable, the changing nature of conflicts and the increasing complexity of mandates have also revealed the limits of the system, structures and basic tools of our Organization. The mass rapes and sexual assaults that took place in North Kivu this summer and the inability of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to protect civilians are stark reminders of the difficulty of maintaining peace in conflict areas in the absence of adequate resources and mandates.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)
“This is a needed basis for such a partnership, particularly with regard to Africa. I am proud to say that Luxembourg is among the countries to have kept its promises. We strive to be a reliable international partner, even in times of crisis. By 2000, Luxembourg’s official development assistance (ODA) had reached the threshold of 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI), and in 2009, our ODA surpassed 1 per cent of GNI. Our Government is committed to maintaining this effort, both in terms of volume and percentage of gross national income. That effort is necessarily linked to steadily growing quality of aid. The duty to prevent, contain and resolve violent conflict is a central aim of our Organization. The 10-54959 36 Charter calls on us to unite our forces in order to maintain international peace and security.”
2010-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 65 (2010)