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

“The Luxembourg Government for its part intends to participate actively in this debate and is currently preparing a bill forbidding the manufacture, storage, utilization and trade in weapons employing sub-munitions. The quest for international disarmament and the strengthening of international regimes on weapons of mass destruction consistently remain objectives of the Luxembourg Government, because of the serious concern we feel as we observe certain current developments with regard to respect for existing international norms, in particular with reference to the Iranian issue. While the agreement that has just been concluded between the secretariat of the International Atomic Energy Agency specifically Mr.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“A few days ago, I had the opportunity to state the views of the Luxembourg Government at the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna. Here at the General Assembly I advocate once again for continued efforts in the area of nuclear disarmament and a strengthening of the non-proliferation regime, of which the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons is and should remain the keystone. I would also like to speak briefly about other types of arms with destabilizing effects or unacceptable consequences for civilians; small arms and light weapons and sub-munitions. I hope that significant advances may soon be made, on those two categories of weapons in particular.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The Troika of representatives from the European Union, the United States and Russia is also committed to a final attempt to bring the two parties together. These efforts have been continued in recent days in New York. As members know, the parties are even now meeting in this building; I have high hopes that dialogue will ensue. The Troika has agreed to submit its report to the Secretary-General by 10 December. I reiterate that the European Union is ready to fully assume its responsibilities in the region, for which a European future lies ahead. I turn my attention to another issue that is of concern to international public opinion and whose potential impact on peace and security is very worrisome: the area of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Faithful to its convictions and commitments, my country fully associates itself with the initiatives announced by a group of States from all parts of the world aimed at making progress in the international debate on the question of abolishing the death penalty. In this rapid overview of the international situation in the area of peace and security, allow me to linger for a moment on an important issue that is of such concern to both the United Nations and the European Union, namely Kosovo. The last act of the Yugoslav tragedy, an urgent solution for the Kosovo issue must be found. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, President Ahtisaari, has been working energetically to establish, in keeping with the established guidelines, the basis of the future status of Kosovo.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The integrated peacebuilding strategies for each of the countries concerned should take into account all the factors involved in order once and for all to break the cycles of violence and place those countries on a stable track towards development. I would like also to mention in this context the essential dimension of reconciliation and combating impunity and to applauding in particular the activities of the various international courts, in particular the International Criminal Court. The protection and promotion of human rights is one of the key focuses of Luxembourg’s foreign policy. I continue to place great hope in the new Human Rights Council, which has just finished setting up its institutional structures, including, in particular, the universal periodic review mechanism, which is a significant innovation.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“There is no denying that we must take into account simultaneously the dimensions of peace and security, human rights, States rights, the rule of law and socio-economic development. I would like now to speak of the courage of the Burmese monks and other citizens who for weeks have been peacefully expressing their aspiration to democracy and respect for human rights. I condemn most energetically the violence of the Burmese security forces against these peaceful demonstrators and call the authorities to put an end to it. The imperative that I mentioned a moment ago can also be seen very clearly in the work of a new and innovative organ, of which Luxembourg has been a member since the beginning of the year: the Peacebuilding Commission.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“For my part, I believe that this is a cardinal principle that should guide and inspire all action by the United Nations and its Member States from an overall standpoint of coherence in addressing the great problems of the time: conflicts in Africa and I am thinking particularly of the situations with tragic humanitarian consequences currently prevailing in the Sudan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and, to be sure, Zimbabwe; the Middle East, where it is important to support fully ongoing Israeli and Palestinian efforts and to progress ultimately towards a negotiated solution of two States living side by side in peace and security, and also towards a lasting solution for the whole region; and Afghanistan, Burma/Myanmar and other hotbeds of violence and instability.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The strategy that rests on three pillars: emergency relief; rehabilitation and reconstruction in the transitional phase; and prevention. On the basis of the United Nations finding that one euro invested in prevention may make it possible to save eight euros in crisis response and resolution, nearly 5 per cent of the Luxembourg humanitarian budget will henceforth be devoted to a proactive, preventive approach. The 2005 World Summit Outcome, which is more than ever the road map for international action, stressed the fundamental finding according to which, “development, peace and security and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“When it first discussed the question of climate change (see S/PV.5663), the Security Council highlighted the numerous complex interactions that could exist among natural disasters, the stepping up of violent conflicts within and among States and humanitarian disasters in various parts of the world. We must tackle these emergency situations on the operational level, seeking to make our action as efficient and prompt as possible. But there is also a need increasingly to place these emergency situations in their political, socio-economic and cultural context in order to try to mitigate their effects and, as far as possible, to prevent recurrence. It is from this standpoint that a new Luxembourg Government strategy in the area of humanitarian crisis management has recently been presented.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Here I would also applaud the recent establishment at the initiative of the Secretary-General of the Millennium Development Goals Africa Steering Group. I am convinced that this will make a significant contribution in terms of coordination and intensification of efforts vis-à-vis a continent with which Luxembourg maintains relations of intense and multifaceted cooperation. The problems associated with climate change and sustainable development bring me to another subject that is dear to my heart and is at the core of the international activities of the Luxembourg Government: humanitarian action.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“The year that lies ahead is crucial from the standpoint of development. There will be a need to undertake resolutely, and in a way that seeks a convergence, the World Trade Organization trade negotiations, the follow-up to Monterrey in the area of financing for development, and the implementation of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness. Only if we adopt generous and courageous policies will we be able to build on these advances and reduce the delays that unfortunately persist, particularly in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, with regard to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. The convening in 2008 of a high-level meeting on mid-term implementation of the Millennium Development Goals would undoubtedly be a good opportunity to take stock and relaunch our efforts.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“More than ever, the issue of development and hence of sustainable development both in the North and in the South must remain in the forefront of international attention. Important decisions have already been taken. Here, I would refer in particular to the decision taken by the European Union in 2005 under the Luxembourg presidency to attain the objective of 0.7 per cent of gross national income for official development assistance (ODA) by 2015. Faced with the risk of stagnation in ODA, we must redouble our efforts to meet our commitments. A member of this all-too select Group with ODA that in 2007 reached close to 0.9 per cent of gross national income, and looking forward to achieving the objective of 1 per cent that we have set for ourselves Luxembourg can only look forward to the expansion of this club.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“For its part, as a member of the European Union and a State party to the Kyoto Protocol, Luxembourg, which has already undertaken weighty individual commitments, is ready to engage with great resolve in the quest for innovative and bold solutions. In order to address successfully the problems of climate change, we must tackle them in all their complexity. In this regard, it should be noted that in the absence of concerted and energetic international action, there is a great risk that countries and populations that have contributed the least to the emergence of this phenomenon are likely to be the ones to bear the heaviest adverse consequences. This, as I see it, is a political problem and, I would say, a moral problem of the first order.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“And what could be a stronger illustration of this shared perception of what is at stake globally and this resolve to seek viable solutions in the short, medium and long, even very long, term than the high-level event organized at the beginning of the week at the initiative of the Secretary-General devoted to the problems of climate change? As already said on behalf of the European Union by the Prime Minister of Portugal whose statement I fully support, it is essential that December's Bali negotiations on an effective and viable post-Kyoto regime get off to a successful start. That is our most basic responsibility vis-a-vis present and future generations.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“Year after year the international community meets in New York in September to debate the major issues of concern to humankind. This traditional encounter is of special importance in that it enables us to grasp very directly and intensively, in all their complexity, the challenges that confront us, but also to bolster our determination to search for common solutions. That is the very essence of the effective multilateralism that, with great conviction, my country, Luxembourg, has placed at the heart of its international action.”
2007-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 62 (2007)
“As we do so, let us be inspired by the reflection of the great 13 06-53323 Michelangelo, who said, “The greatest danger is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it”.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Luxembourg wants to put itself at the service of that ideal and of the international community and to shoulder its part of the responsibility in that regard. That is why, five years ago, we decided to submit our candidacy for a non- permanent seat on the Security Council for the biennium 2013-2014. Luxembourg, a founding Member of the United Nations that has not yet held a Council seat, views this candidacy as a new expression of its commitment to the purposes and principles of the Charter, to peace and security, development and human rights and to an effective multilateral system. Despite difficulties and obstacles, we must persevere, through dialogue and diplomacy, to fashion a United Nations worthy of our expectations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I should like to conclude by referring to the person who has guided us and provided us with benchmarks as he has led the Organization for the past 10 years. I am, of course, speaking about our Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Annan. Although there is still some time before the end of his mandate — and I am sure that he intends to carry out a number of important missions before then — it is important that I now pay tribute to him and thank him for the work accomplished over the course of a lifetime devoted to serving the Organization. The country that I have the honour to represent in this Hall, Luxembourg, also intends to be an important part of the life and the future of the Organization, which, more than 60 years after its establishment, continues to represent a noble ideal and hope for millions and millions of men and women.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In that context, we cannot overlook the organ to which the Charter of the United Nations entrusts a vital role in the maintenance and preservation of international peace and security: the Security Council. For many years, ways and means to strengthen the legitimacy and effectiveness of that essential body were the subject of in-depth discussions, without any significant progress being made. For our part, we are convinced that Security Council reform remains indispensable. It must be carried out both to strengthen the Council’s representativity — by increasing the number of its permanent and non-permanent members, but without overburdening its functioning by granting the right of veto — and to improve its rules of procedure in order to enhance the effectiveness and transparency of its work and, thus, the legitimacy of its action.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We must also ensure that the working methods and decision-making procedures of our bodies are defined and structured so that they can produce the best results and can best meet the legitimate expectations of Member States. Achieving a better cost-effectiveness ratio to benefit our peoples must be an objective of all Member States, large or small, of the North or the South. What is at stake is the credibility — perhaps even the survival — of multilateralism as a way to manage the major problems shared by humanity. Some progress was made over the past year in reforming administrative and financial management, but much remains to be done. We must unite to bring about essential reform to transform the United Nations into an instrument fully capable of addressing the grave and multiple challenges at the beginning of the twenty-first century.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“While peace and security, development and human rights are the three basic pillars on which the United Nations is based, those fundamental values can be fulfilled and fully expressed in real terms only through an effective and credible multilateral system. Multilateralism must not remain only a word. In the light of recent events in the Middle East, no nation, large or small, can escape the conclusion that multilateralism offers the only viable framework for finding solutions to the conflicts and threats that confront us. It is our responsibility to provide the multilateral system with adequate means to carry out its principal missions.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Likewise, we welcome the recent conclusion of the negotiations on a draft international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. We hope that that important instrument can be adopted this fall by the General Assembly. Another significant innovation, adopted at last year’s Summit — the notion of the “responsibility to protect” in case of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing or crimes against humanity — should be applied in accordance with the criteria and conditions defined in the Summit Outcome Document so that it can progressively become an undisputed standard to guide the action of the international community as the situation requires.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In September 2005, the participants in the Summit formally recognized that development, peace, security and human rights are linked and mutually reinforcing. To strengthen the international framework for the promotion and protection of human rights, the General Assembly decided in March 2006, as we know, to replace the old Commission on Human Rights with a Human Rights Council. While the new Council’s first session enabled it to make some important progress in terms of standards, we must now bolster its establishment by providing it with all the means and instruments it needs — including special procedures — 06-53323 12 to promote the cause of human rights and to react swiftly and effectively to specific situations of serious human rights violations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The meeting held earlier this week to consider the implementation of the Brussels Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries showed once again that the establishment of a true development partnership remains a priority and urgent task. Unfortunately, that also remains true for international action against HIV/AIDS, which was the subject of a high-level meeting in June. Concerned about improving the quality and effectiveness of aid to the most impoverished, my country looks forward with great interest to the proposals of the High-level Panel on United Nations System-wide Coherence which will be made public in the next few months. The maxim “development is the other name for peace” remains amazingly current.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“While 2005 was the year of great development commitments, with the holding of the Group of Eight Summit at Gleneagles and the decision taken by the European Union — under the Luxembourg presidency — to meet the target of 0.7 per cent of gross national income in official development assistance by 2015, 2006 has been the year of implementation, particularly with the adoption of resolution 60/265, which reflects the international consensus in that area. For its part, Luxembourg continues to be proud of its participation — still too limited unfortunately — in the 0.7 per cent club, with 0.82 per cent of its gross national income devoted to official development assistance in 2005. We hope to reach 1 per cent within the next few years.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In its resolution 1696 (2006), the Security Council defined the main parameters which will guide the way in which the Iranian nuclear issue is approached by the international community and the European Union, which has been in discussion with Iran for more than two years. If those demands — particularly the suspension of all enrichment activity — are met, negotiations on a comprehensive agreement can begin and confidence can be restored. The Summit Outcome Document (resolution 60/1) highlighted in particular the importance of development, which directly affects the fate of billions of human beings.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The Strategy must both address the conditions that encourage the spread of terrorism and seek to prevent and act against terrorism, including through the various bodies of the United Nations, while at the same time guaranteeing respect for human rights and the rule of law. As European Union ministers for foreign affairs declared a few days ago, that latter consideration applies in particular to the treatment of all detainees, as well as to the problematic issue of secret detention centres. The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems continues to give rise to grave concern at the international level. The attitude and the activities of North Korea in the area of nuclear proliferation recently led the Security Council unanimously to adopt its resolution 1695 (2006). Another subject of concern is Iran.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We wish every success to this new body, which certainly gives rise to great hope throughout the world. Before leaving the issue of peace and security, I must briefly mention two subjects that have a major, horizontal impact: terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. With regard to the scourge of terrorism, concerted and decisive action at the international and region levels must obviously be taken. I am pleased that at the end of its sixtieth session, under the energetic presidency of Mr. Jan Eliasson, whom I congratulate for his work, the General Assembly adopted the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (resolution 60/288).”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The African Union is also playing an increasingly positive role in crisis management on the African continent, as illustrated by its action in Darfur through the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). It is essential that this crucial action be speedily taken up by the deployment of an enlarged United Nations 11 06-53323 mission, as provided for in Security Council resolution 1706 (2006). With the creation and the operationalization a few months ago of the Peacebuilding Commission, another World Summit commitment has now been met. The United Nations now has an innovative instrument to manage post-conflict situations in order to ensure optimal transition from peacekeeping and urgent humanitarian assistance to restarting the development process.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“That continent continues to be scourged by poverty, disease and armed conflict. But at the same time there is hope, thanks to the continent’s extraordinary vitality and creativity. Although far too many internal conflicts and international crises remain in many areas in Africa — for example, in Côte d’Ivoire; the Sudan, in particular the Darfur region, where a large-scale humanitarian crisis is looming; the Horn of Africa; and other areas as well — there are some signs of hope, sometimes fragile to be sure, are to be seen in countries as diverse as Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where an electoral process of unprecedented scale is under way with the massive support of the United Nations and the European Union, among other partners.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I also realized the extent to which confrontation, violence and despair tend to spread and become entrenched. It is this grievous machine that we have to stop. More than ever before, it is clear that there can be no military solution or unilateral solution to the continuing conflicts in the region. On 15 September, the ministers for foreign affairs of the European Union reaffirmed our full support for the search for a negotiated solution. We welcomed the announcement by President Abbas with regard to an agreement on the formation of a government of national unity, and we expressed the hope that such a government’s programme would reflect the principles of the Quartet. Two days ago, as we know, the Quartet too endorsed that position. However, persistent tension in the Middle East must not divert our attention from Africa.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“So the task of supporting the emergence of a fully sovereign and independent Lebanon which can exercise its sovereignty and a monopoly on armed force throughout its territory must be completed; all regional players must make their contribution to this process. By bringing about the lifting of the blockade of Lebanon, and by concretely addressing the issue of prisoners, the Secretary-General has laid the foundations for a lasting solution. We thank him for his effective work. I was in Beirut, Tel Aviv and Ramallah a few days ago, and I realized once again the extent to which the absence of true peace in this region has had a negative effect on civilian populations, particularly in the occupied territories, where the humanitarian situation is getting worse day by day.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“But beyond that immediate reaction, now that a cessation of hostilities has been brought about — late, it is true — we now have to consolidate the ceasefire and lay the foundations of a sustainable political process, the principal elements of which are defined in Security Council resolution 1701 (2006). As reaffirmed a few days ago from this podium by the current President of the European Council, Ms. Tarja Halonen (see ), the European Union is prepared to fully play its role in this context. Already, European contributions — to which my country is committed to participate — constitute what Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called the backbone of a strengthened United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“More than ever, the Middle East is the centre of deep political, military, socio-economic and cultural tensions, with military confrontation on Lebanese lands and bombings in northern Israel, to mention only the most recent examples. A month of war has left behind it a terrible legacy of death and injury, destruction and contamination by mines and unexploded ordnance, as well as major economic consequences. My country immediately joined international solidarity efforts. The Stockholm conference enabled us to coordinate international support and to move towards reconstruction under the aegis of the United Nations and the Lebanese Government.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“On that historic occasion, we forcefully reaffirmed that peace and security, development and human rights are the pillars of the United Nations system and constitute the essential element of a more just and a more peaceful world order. One year later, what have we accomplished, and how can that progress be assessed in the light of these criteria: the reality of the situation, and the way in which the complex international situation and the never-ending future are evolving? When we look at the current situation, we have to see that areas of shadow coexist with reasons for hope, and we have some cause for concern.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Two years ago, at this same rostrum, as the conclusion of my statement (see A/59/PV.10), I quoted these famous verses of the Spanish poet Antonio Machado: “Traveller, your footsteps Are the road, and nothing else; Traveller, there is no road. The road is made by walking; Walking makes the road.” What a road we have travelled since then. Indeed, the opening of the sixty-first session of the General Assembly is above all the opportunity for us to look back and assess the progress we have made, particularly since the September 2005 World Summit, but also to try to assess the work that still needs to be done to implement the noble ambitions we all agreed 06-53323 10 upon one year ago in this Hall where we meet every year as a real parliament of nations.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Sixty years after the signing of the San Francisco Charter, we have all met together here to confirm our contract of confidence with this Organization, the United Nations, which is our common heritage — a United Nations renovated and reformed, synchronized with the threats and challenges of our times and able to respond to the expectations of the peoples of the world. As a signatory to the Charter in 1945, Luxembourg, as far as it is concerned, is ready to renew this pledge of confidence with enthusiasm, confidence and determination.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Let us assume that the next meeting of the Quartet, which will be held in New York tomorrow, will find political formulas that will make it possible to continue the positive dynamic of disengagement from Gaza and will clear the way for a just and lasting peace in this divided part of our world. As very often happens, patches of clouds and glimmers of hope are mingled when we analyse the international situation, but one thing remains constant, and that is the central role of the United Nations in the search for international peace and security.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Regarding the crucial question of Israeli colonization activities in the occupied territories, the European Council noted that “the policy of colonization is an obstacle to peace and threatens making virtually impossible any solution based on the coexistence of two States”. In the same context, the European Council expressed concern at the continuation of the building of the separation barrier in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem and its surrounding areas, which contradicts the pertinent provisions of international law. At the same time, of course, the Council recognized the right of Israel to protect its citizens against attacks.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Now we should take advantage of that positive dynamic to launch a genuine peace prospect based on the road map, which continues 16 to be the essential framework in this matter. The conditions to promote the emergence of a climate of peace were recalled by the European Council on 16 and 17 June 2005. In particular, the fact that the Palestinian Authority is taking control of Gaza now provides it with an opportunity to demonstrate its institutional and administrative maturity, particularly as regards maintaining law and order and combating terrorism. The cessation of all acts of violence by the parties is also an essential requirement.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“That important Conference made it possible, in particular, for the States members of the European Union to reaffirm their unanimous and united support for a secure, stable, unified, prosperous, democratic Iraq, respectful of human rights, which will benefit fully from the exercise of its sovereignty, cooperate constructively with its neighbours and with the international community, and end violence in that country. And it is our Organization that, more than ever, must be a driving force, play a leading role, in that context. The Near East has only rarely been the scene of positive developments. This is why I should like particularly and expressly to welcome the political courage of the leaders of the two sides regarding the successful withdrawal from Gaza and certain parts of the north of the West Bank.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In this context, I should also like to welcome the agreement that was reached just today with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to abandon all nuclear programmes and to rejoin the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT). This is excellent news. On 22 June 2005, more than 80 countries and organizations met in Brussels at the International Conference on Iraq, sponsored jointly by the European Union and the United States, with the presence of our Secretary-General, and expressed their support for the Iraqi Transitional Government and its political, economic and security priorities.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The current President of the Council of the European Union, my friend Jack Straw, recalled two days ago from this rostrum the spirit in which the negotiations on the nuclear issue were conducted with Iran in recent months. Cooperation and respect for international norms and treaties, rather than discrimination or a desire to create dependency, were what motivated us in this case. In the Paris Agreement Iran subscribed to a total suspension of all activities connected with enrichment and all reprocessing activities. It is that commitment that made it possible to develop political and economic cooperation with the European Union. It is that commitment — which, I hardly need to recall, has been ratified by the International Atomic Energy Agency — that I today call upon Iran to respect.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“On the basis of the mandate given by the summit, Luxembourg actively supports the reform of the Central Emergency Revolving Fund, which should take shape in coming months so that this renovated Fund can become fully operational by the beginning of 2006. My country has already announced, just a few days ago here in New York, that it would be making a contribution of $4 million to the capital of this Fund, and other States have also confirmed large contributions. If development is, according to the well-known formula, the new name of peace, we cannot fail, nevertheless, to note that numerous international conflicts and intra-State conflicts and hotbeds of tension continue to dot the face of the world. Peace and stability in the Middle East continue to be at the forefront of our concerns.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In the Sudan, in the Great Lakes region and elsewhere, this truth is demonstrated daily. There can be no development without security. There can be no security without development. That is why I particularly welcome the agreement reached during the summit on the establishment of a Peacebuilding Commission. That should make it possible for us to contemplate the tremendous problems of transition confronting the countries emerging from conflict from an overall viewpoint, bringing together the dimensions of crisis management, humanitarian aid, reconstruction of State structures and local and legal structures and providing essential public goods and services, while at the same time re- launching the process of economic and social development.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In this connection, when Luxembourg occupied the presidency of the European Union during the first half of this year, the member States of the European Union took the historic decision to commit themselves on a precise timetable to make a considerable increase of their official development aid (ODA) in order to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of their gross national products by 2015 at the latest. Four of the five countries, including my own, that have achieved or gone beyond 0.7 per cent — a target reconfirmed by the High-level Meeting — are member States of the European Union. The Government of Luxembourg has confirmed its intention to increase its ODA contribution in the years to come to one per cent of its gross national income. Unfortunately, too often the fruits of development are erased by natural or man-made disasters.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“1) In view of these alarming facts, setting up and creating a genuine partnership for development, based on the groundwork of the Monterrey Conference and on the basis of shared responsibility borne by both the donor countries and the recipient countries, remains a matter of priority. The countries of the South must take their own development in hand by defining detailed national strategies that are effective and directed towards good governance and combating corruption. The countries of the North must fulfil their commitments in matters of trade, debt reduction and enhancing the quality of aid and good practices. Particular emphasis should be laid on increasing 15 financial flows for development.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Let me also devote a few minutes to the question of development. Development remains the main political and moral issue of our time. It must be noted that progress towards the Millennium Development Goals has been uneven and some backward movement must be acknowledged, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The recently published Human Development Report notes that “In the midst of an increasingly prosperous global economy, 10.7 million children every year do not live to see their fifth birthday, and more than 1 billion people survive in abject poverty on less than $1 per day. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has inflicted the single greatest reversal in human development. In 2003, the pandemic claimed 3 million lives and left another five million people infected.” (Human Development Report 2005, p.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In his opening statement at the sixtieth regular session of the General Assembly, our Secretary- General clearly defined the mission that awaits us in the coming months. Among the subjects that claim our attention, I would focus on the following: human rights, in order to strengthen the impact of this essential dimension in all the activities of the United Nations, particularly through the immediate creation of a Human Rights Council on the basis of the positive groundwork laid in the preparatory work of the High- level Meeting; the establishment of the Peacebuilding Commission, an innovative body; the reform of the main bodies of our Organization, including the urgent need to enlarge the Security Council in both categories of membership in order to make the Council more representative of the realities at the beginning of the twenty-first century and to make it more transparent and more effective; giving concrete form to the idea of “the responsibility to protect”, whose confirmation in the final document is one of the main breakthroughs of the recent High-level Meeting; and finally, the reform of the administrative and financial management of the United Nations in order to consolidate the effectiveness and integrity of the Organization.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I would note with satisfaction your intention, Sir, to present a detailed and operational workplan in order to organize our work as effectively as possible so that we can complete the tasks awaiting us according to a fixed timetable. We have to provide concrete evidence that our Assembly will not go back to business as usual once the spotlights have been switched off. For all those — and I am one of them — who believe that our Assembly, a veritable parliament of the nations of the world, has a paramount role to play in the emergence of a strong political consensus at the world level, the quick adoption of specific operational decisions should deal a sound rebuff to all those Cassandras, all those cynics and all those who uphold the status quo that opposes change.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)