YouSaid · the spoken record

Xavier Bettel

lines on the record: 186
first: 2014-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 8
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

“To conclude, when our nations are truly united, as I said earlier, wherever you were born, whatever your parents did. whatever religions they follow, whatever your sexual orientations and political orientations, you will be able to have the same right to live, to be educated and to be as you are and not like other people would love you to be.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We have done all this not just to be a candidate or to sit in a room. We want to have added value when we put our candidature forward. Also, we want to continue to fight for what I said earlier. We want to continue being United Nations, for what it means to be united, and if we have differences we want to respect them and at least to convince, to exchange and to move on to become nations that are more united than we have been before, with young people and civil society. We should also really think about our procedures. Usually, when we follow our procedures everything is okay, but we have come to see that when we have troubles with a permanent member, it is difficult to move on. We also have to give a voice to the African countries today in those institutions.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We also need to sue. We cannot accept that crimes have been committed and will not be punished. This is the eighth time that I have been able to deliver a speech before the General Assembly. I have been Prime Minister now for 10 years, since 2013. and I am proud of our contributions and the work my country has done in the United Nations during this period. We were an active member of the Security Council in 2013 and 2014. and during that powerful experience we also proposed ourselves for another candidacy for the Security Council for the term 2031-2032. In 2013. we also decided to be a candidate for the Council of Human Rights, and we were elected in October 2021 for the 2022-2024 mandate. In October 2022. we also presented our candidature for the UNESCO Executive Board for the period 2025-2029.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I have never lived through war. but on my continent we had a war in the former Yugoslavia not that long ago. And if I am free before the Assembly, it is because other countries supported Luxembourg. There is an American military cemetery for thousands of young guys and girls who did not even know where my country was. and yet they died for me to be able to sit in a free country today. And that is the reason why we will not leave Ukraine alone. Ukraine has no choice, and we cannot accept that it is in the power of your biggest neighbour to decide what is good for you. I have seen it in my own lifetime, when Germany thought that it knew what was better for Luxembourg than we did. And so we will continue to support Ukraine. We will not leave it alone and we need to make the Russians understand that they have made the wrong decisions.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Is it normal that our procedures in the United Nations make it possible for a permanent member of the Security Council to block consideration of situations when we have all agreed that there is a problem? Last year. I sent a message to the Russian delegation, asking its members to listen to us and to try to stop that unnecessary war. I am among the few leaders who has had calls with President Zelenskyy and with President Putin. I was criticized for having made those calls, but I do not regret them. If we want to find solutions, we need to speak to one another. But when I realized that there was no will on the Russian side to find solutions or to save lives. I gave up. So again. I say to the Russian delegation: There is no reason to kill innocent civilians, to rape women and to kill children. I grew up in peace.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“When we speak about being in the United Nations and wanting to share values together, we still have to also play a role in international peace and security. When I see the situation in Africa. I have to say that I am not reassured about what has happened. I take a special moment to think about my colleague. President Bazoum. As President of the Niger, his was one of the stable countries. He is now in custody. I want to inform the Assembly that for us it was also important to support the African countries that condemned the coup. It is not about the power of the strongest, of the one who has the weapons, who has to win against the supporters of democracy. We have to continue to fight for this.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“That was what happened on my continent and still today some people think that this is just a small part of our history. \ I thought we would have learned from the past when I see what also happened after the Second World War. When we see today that being gay. being lesbian or being trans is still a death penalty. I myself am gay; it is not my choice. I did not wake up this morning to ask myself why I am gay. The most difficult part was to accept myself. People must realize that being gay is not a choice. But being a homophobic is a choice, and we have to fight against people who do not accept diversity in our nations. I could go on citing all the different epithets about religions, about antisemitism and anti-difference.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“For us. the defence of the human rights of women and children will stay a priority. We are also proud to have supported the initiative to create an institution for people who have disappeared in Syria. We have to fight intolerance, and I would ask everyone just to be intolerant to intolerance. Is it still normal that nowadays, some political parties try to explain, for example, that the Second World War was not such a terrible period? One need only go to Auschwitz and see what happened there, where millions of Jewish people were killed. They were killed because they were Jewish. They were gypsies. They were gay or they were left-wing. If you go there you will see thousands and thousands of suitcases. You will see crutches. You will see hair. You will see glasses. And people were just a number.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is still a shame to know that today, in 2023. human rights are different from one person to another depending on their place of birth. And it is not only about human rights. It is also about civil rights, economic rights, the right to education, the right to be different, the right of diversity, the rights of women, the right to choose for yourself rather than for someone else who thinks he knows better what is good for you to do so. That is the reality still in 2023. when we speak about universal human rights and when we speak about the United Nations. No. we are not united when we speak about human rights. The definition of human rights still depends today on where you were born, and I can affirm that that is not our best achievement. And still we celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In our Embassy only yesterday, we hosted colleagues from Cape Verde and Rwanda, and we were able to show that we can bring the private and public sectors together if we want to succeed. As public authorities, we cannot do it alone. If we want to succeed, we must be ready to bring in the private sector. Those who have not done so are very welcome to visit Luxembourg to see how the private and public sectors can come together and move forward. I have just listened to the speaker before me talk about human rights. I am sure that if we asked all the representatives here today what human rights mean to each of them, we would find to our shame that in 2023 human rights still depend on where you are born. They depend on your religion. They depend on whether you are a girl or boy. They depend on your sexual orientation.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“We will support negotiations at the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to establish the new Loss and Damage Fund to help developing countries that are particularly vulnerable. We are also strengthening our international climate finance, which is in addition to our official development assistance. My Government has just decided to increase Luxembourg’s contribution to the Green Climate Fund by 25 per cent for the period 2024-2027. We also work in close cooperation with the European Investment Bank in the field of sustainable finance. Luxembourg’s financial centre, in particular our Luxembourg Green Exchange, has issued the first green bonds and mobilized private capital.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“I do not know how it is in other countries, but in ours we have had tornadoes, floods and other unprecedented phenomena. Events on the far side of the world that we used to see on television are now happening at home. That is nothing compared to the situation being experienced by Heads of State and Government who have spoken here and do not know if their countries will be able to resist or even exist in the long term. It is hard to imagine being a citizen of a country that could disappear under the melting icebergs. Let us think of that. What would you build for the future? How could you fight that phenomenon? Luxembourg shares the Secretary-General’s commitment to solving the climate crisis. I was fortunate enough to be present when we reached the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015. We must pursue that course.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“The Dialogue made it possible to identify avenues for closing the SDG financing gap. In partnership with international financial institutions and the private sector, the aim is to mobilize the resources that developing countries need to get out of debt and ensure financing of the SDGs. Our climate action is also not very popular these days, because it is never popular when we act to change people’s daily lives. People do not like it when we say that things must change, but we will be judged by future generations if we do not shoulder our responsibilities today. While we may need to take unpopular decisions, we must do so if we wish to preserve the quality of life we enjoy today. There are those who do not believe in climate change, and I have heard politicians express doubt about climate change from this very rostrum.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“For several years, we have devoted 1 per cent of our gross national income to public development assistance. Our support focuses on the least developed countries and basic social sectors. We have seen how. in many European countries, one of the first budget items to be cut when a new administration takes power is cooperation. It is true that it is not very popular to offer to help people at the far side of the world when some populists point to the problems at home. But the problems we have at home are rich people’s problems in most other countries of the world and their own problems are issues of survival, while ours can occasionally be overlooked. Luxembourg had the honour of preparing, with South Africa, the High-Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, which was held on 20 September.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“As Europeans, we commit daily to defending the principles anchored in the Charter of the United Nations and to strengthening multilateralism. While many people believe that the solution to today’s problems is to build walls and cut ties. I am among those who are convinced that it is the readiness to build bridges that is the right solution. I wish to speak of Luxembourg’s assistance for sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Summit, held a few days ago. reminded us of the urgent need to redouble our efforts if we want to achieve the SDGs by 2030. We have seen the devastating effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic and Russia’s war against Ukraine lead to a deterioration of poverty indicators in many developing countries. Luxembourg is determined to continue to show solidarity.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“It is important to ask ourselves: What does it mean to be united? I have a feeling that each of us has her or his own definition of what it means to be united these days. First, it means being able to count on each other. There are larger and smaller nations, and some are there to support the others. My country is not the largest in size but has always believed that unity and the willingness to work with others have made it bigger and stronger. We are a founding Member of the United Nations, the European Union. NATO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the Council of Europe. My country has always believed in the international order and the resolve to come together to build something together.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Our debate is being held under the theme of restoring trust and reviving global solidarity. President Dennis Francis has rightly called on us to accelerate action to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals for peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all. He has called on us to rebuild international peace and security, to show leadership in the fight against climate change, and to support efforts to promote and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by all. His priorities are also our priorities. We can sign off on them immediately. To respond to global threats, from Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine to climate change, from poverty to pandemics, we must act. We cannot remain idle. We must act together, as truly united nations.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“That is why the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is also submitting its candidature for a seat on the Security Council for the 2031 to 2032 term. It is why we continue to be committed to peace and security in Ukraine, Mali and the Middle East. It is why we are committed to rights for all human beings and supporting humanitarian action for the people of the Sahel and Syria. And it is why we will always be at the ready to defend the Charter of the United Nations. I hope that by the time we meet here next year the ongoing atrocities in Ukraine will have been relegated to history.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We therefore welcome the work that has been launched to follow up on the proposals made by the Secretary-General. A few days ago, the Transforming Education Summit was held. The decision was taken to establish the Office of the Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. The involvement of young people is crucial because they will be paying for the mistakes that we are making today. We must have the courage to recognize that politics, of course, involves achieving short-term objectives but most importantly, it is about the legacy we leave to future generations. I therefore want to assure the Assembly that Luxembourg will continue to place itself at the service of the United Nations in order to champion our common values — the values of humanity.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We were also involved in the efforts that led to the adoption by consensus of the Liechtenstein veto initiative (resolution 76/262). It establishes a permanent mandate for this Assembly to debate the use of the veto in the Security Council. We have a system. It is what it is. Let us make the best of it. We also need Security Council reform. The United Nations cannot be a dog that barks but does not bite — a dog without teeth. It is important that we achieve a United Nations that works. We manage to explain what this body is. Let us recall why we are here. It was after the Second World War that we wanted to sit around a table to find solutions and work together. Today the United Nations should not be a place where, by means of a veto, I can obstruct the will to build something together.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The President emphasized the fact that we are at a decisive turning point and that we all should meet the various challenges facing us, be it war or climate change. We must find common responses. We must also act together. To those who say that the United Nations is powerless, I say that the United Nations is what we make it. It all depends on our ambition and what we manage to do with that. It is up to us to mobilize to find solutions and forge partnerships and compromises that allow us to strengthen multilateral cooperation. This spring, for example, Luxembourg had the honour of facilitating, together with Bangladesh, the negotiations that led to the adoption by consensus of the first declaration on the progress made in the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (resolution 76/266).”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In some countries, I would even be condemned to death. And if I am a woman, I have less rights than a man. That is a reality today in 2022. It is therefore very important that we continue to have the independent international commission to investigate violations of human rights. Unfortunately, that has an increasingly heavy workload at the international level. We are committed to living up to the responsibility of Luxembourg having been elected to the Human Rights Council for the 2022-2024 term. This is the first time that we have had the honour of a seat on the Council. I would like to take this opportunity today to thank Member States very warmly, on my own behalf and on behalf of my Government and country, for having placed their trust in us.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Climate change also has an impact on human rights, in particular the rights of children. That is among Luxembourg’s priorities at the Human Rights Council, where we are also committed to promoting gender equality, fighting against discrimination, strengthening the rule of law and civic space and combating impunity. Allow me to have a thought for Mahsa Amini in Iran and what happened with the morality police, who decided a woman’s fate. As I said before the Assembly last year (see A/76/PV.13), is it normal that, depending on my place of birth, my rights differ, and that, depending on my place of birth, if I am a member of a certain religion, I do not have rights? Is it normal that, if I have a different political view, I do not have rights and, if I am of a different sexual orientation, I do not have rights?”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We wonder what the consequences will be if the temperature increases by 1°C or 2°C. But some countries wonder how long they will even exist. They risk being erased from the map of the world because of the temperature rise. Are we as aware of that? In Luxembourg, I launched the Citizens’ Climate Council, where we asked 100 people to meet and make proposals. We realize that our citizens’ proposals are often bolder than how we, as politicians, think. It is quite an interesting experience, and we need to listen to them. Many of us will meet in Sharm El-Sheikh. We must mobilize to stay on course for the 1.5°C target that we signed up to in Paris. Only by making joint efforts can we manage to mitigate the impact of climate change. Allow me to also think about our friends in Pakistan and what is happening there.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“At the twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in Glasgow, I announced that the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was going to increase its climate financing to €220 million for the period from 2021 to 2025. Half of that funding will go to adaptation to climate change in the most vulnerable countries. We also intend to invest an increasing share in innovative instruments to mobilize private financing. We are a European leader in sustainable financing. We play a major role in mobilizing the private capital needed to finance the transition to carbon neutrality, including with the European Investment Bank in the area of sustainable financing. Given the climate emergency, I must say that, as politicians, we are at times a little timid. We ask ourselves if we should or should not act.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It extends to cooperation on renewable energy and the fight against climate change, as we are also doing with our partners in Cabo Verde. It also extends to cooperation in technology and information and communications. I was recently in Kigali, in Rwanda, where we continue such collaboration. If we want to be credible partners, we must particularly not just hold donor meetings, because they tend to do only that, but also deliver on our commitments. It is pointless to meet to make promises, but then not keep them. For my part, for example in terms of climate financing, my country decided to apply the principle of additionality. Our financing is therefore in addition to our ODA.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As most Member States can imagine, every time we talk about official development assistance, there is someone who will say: why are they helping others; there are still problems at home? But I am proud of the 1 per cent assistance. When we see some problems that we have at home, they are tiny compared to others. We also want to contribute to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. In order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the partnership with Africa is crucial. We intend to strengthen it at the continental level, between the European Union and the African Union, and at the bilateral level. That partnership goes beyond traditional cooperation, focusing on social sectors, such as health care and education.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Today we see that the Sahel region is suffering from food insecurity, amplified by climate change and the effects of the war. Not long ago — and I would like to thank the leadership of President Bazoum — I was in the Niger, a partner country of Luxembourg’s cooperation. We want to work towards more stability in the region. I also remember when I met Mr. Roch Kabore and Mr. Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. The leaders have now changed. I think that stability in Africa is a tragic element, together with other existing crises. I am proud to be Prime Minister of a country where 1 per cent of its gross national income is allocated to official development assistance (ODA).”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is a crucial agreement for millions of people. We are also seeing a rise in energy prices and very harsh consequences for many Europeans as well. It is easy to say that we should abandon the sanctions. What I would like is that we give up the war — not us, but them, our Russian colleagues. I would also like to welcome the Secretary-General’s initiative to convene the Global Crisis Response Group on Food, Energy and Finance to identify short-, medium- and long-term solutions. I thank Antonio Guterres and his teams for their tremendous efforts, as I said earlier, regarding the agreement with Tiirkiye. We must also express our support for the World Food Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Fund for Agricultural Development in strengthening food resilience.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I said earlier that starting a war was not the most difficult, but knowing how to get out of it is where one recognizes greatness, particularly as this war started at a time when most of us sighed with relief that we were leaving the coronavirus disease behind. We thought that we were going to be able to leave it behind. Now there is food insecurity, particularly in countries with vulnerable populations in Africa and the Middle East. I reiterate to African colleagues, for I know that the narrative that it is European sanctions that create problems for the food crisis is false. It is the war, the aggression in Ukraine that is responsible for the problems that they are experiencing. I must also thank President Erdogan, who sat at the table to try and find a way out of the Black Sea for Ukrainian grain exports.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I will say why I am so sensitive to this subject. I had a grandmother who was Russian and a grandfather who was Polish. I have a grandfather from Luxembourg and a French grandmother. My grandmother was Orthodox, my grandfather Jewish, the other grandfather an atheist and the other grandmother a Catholic. Even in my country, having Jewish blood, being liberal and one’s husband being a man, I would have been condemned to death in my own country. Let us accept differences. Let us accept the wealth of diversity. If we are to live in peace, let us not make the same mistakes. I appeal to President Putin.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We must constantly honour that courage and support the investigations carried out by national and international actors — I am thinking in particular of the International Criminal Court — so that those responsible for war crimes and other crimes committed in Ukraine are identified, prosecuted and punished. There can be no impunity, not for war crimes, crimes against humanity, the crime of genocide or the crime of aggression. Let me take this opportunity to also commend the courage in Russia, because President Putin has now called for a mobilization, and we see young Russians leaving their country. As Mr. Michel said earlier, we cannot talk about war by just condemning it. It is already too late, for what has taken place is inexcusable. A ceasefire and an end to the killing of innocent people are things that are close to my heart.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“It is true that my country is between France and Germany, which were enemies at the time of the Second World War. Today we are partners, and we are building something together. I would not be here today, and I would not be living in a democracy, if countries that were not my neighbours, but other countries, had not helped us. In Luxembourg, we too opened our doors to people fleeing war. Those people are not seeking a better life; they simply want to live. We welcomed more than 1,000 students from Ukraine to our schools. Whether it is in Kyiv or in our country, there is the courage of those students, families, children and men in Ukraine who have also begun to rebuild their country and revive their cities, liberated after the barbarity that took place there.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I say it here, and I also said it in Kyiv: Ukraine can continue to count on us to help it to defend its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders and the right to legitimate defence, as enshrined in Article 51 of the Charter. It is our responsibility to help Ukraine. We cannot accept a larger neighbour. Those here can see that I am not from one of the larger countries in terms of its size or its army, but I cannot imagine living in a country where I would have to worry about the extent of action of my neighbours. I think that the greatest project that my continent has seen is the European Union. If I have lived in peace since 1957, it is precisely because we try to build things together.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I visited the towns of Borodyanka, Bucha and Irpin, where I met — forgive me, but I am talking about a personal experience — a woman who had lost everything, but she remained hopeful and retained the will to believe in peace. She was there with her grandson, who had become deaf from the bombings next to him. I say to the Russian representatives that one cannot condemn a country and a generation. One cannot kill innocent people. I cannot find the words. When I saw the impact of the atrocities committed by the Russian military forces, I could only bow to the memory of the children — the innocent — who pay with their lives, shattered by the war.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“In particular, finding out that soldiers who had committed crimes were being decorated is intolerable to me — and that word is not strong enough. It is unacceptable to me. The war continues. It has already claimed more than 14,000 victims among the civilian population in Ukraine, including more than 1,000 children. When we see the mass graves that are being found, with people who have been beaten up, which is what I also saw in Bucha — summary executions — every day that it continues is one day too many. I would also like to say that the Russian aggression also poses threats to Ukrainian nuclear facilities. In many countries, people are frightened. It is an unacceptable risk for Ukraine, but also the other European countries. As I said, about three months ago, I travelled to Ukraine.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“I do not know how President Putin is now going to explain. In recent days, there has also been the mobilization, where young people are requested to join the Russian troops. How is he going to explain to mothers that they are going to lose their sons, to wives that they will lose their husbands and to children that they will lose their fathers to a meaningless war? I have now been Prime Minister of my country for nine years and, as a politician, I have always tried to find answers to the questions that I ask myself. I say to the Russian representatives that this is the first time that I was not able to find answers. I cannot understand. I therefore once again appeal to their President that there be a ceasefire and diplomacy. I made those calls but, after Bucha, I could not go on. I say it frankly. I could not understand.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Organizing a referendum in time of war and, if I understood correctly, going knocking on doors and asking people to vote at the ballot box, I do not know how that would be arranged. One cannot organize a referendum in the current circumstances. The population is being driven abroad. I even fear that the referendums will be an excuse to justify further actions, to say that it is a Russian territory, and that Donbas must therefore be protected by Russia, and to support the use of even more brutal means than those already being used. I regret that. I appreciated the discussions that I had with President Putin — the exchanges and the frankness. But I must say that today I note that it is easy to begin a war, but the greatness of a political figure is rather to know when to end it and to want to get out of it.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“This Assembly also met in an emergency special session and adopted three resolutions in that context (resolutions ES-11/1, ES-11/2 and ES-11/3). We also see that a large majority of the members of this Assembly condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded a ceasefire. At the request of Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, I, as Prime Minister, also wanted to do something. I held talks with the Russian President. As there are representatives of the Russian Federation in this Hall, I must say that I do not regret having tried. I am disappointed with the outcome when, for example, I heard President Erdogan say last week that there would perhaps be peace, and, the same day, President Putin announced the organization of referendums. When we ourselves organize a referendum, we know how long it takes.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“For many people, and perhaps in many other countries, on the European continent anyway, that unprovoked and unjustified war has revived the fear of a war. As I said a moment ago, now more than ever, it is again becoming a matter of wondering if it is possible. The recent threats and measures announced by Moscow only exacerbate the situation. I want to say that we strongly condemn them. We face a situation with the Russian veto and the Security Council deadlocked. That is difficult. The Secretary-General condemned Russia’s clear violation of the United Nations Charter. I do not need to remind Member States that, on 16 March, the International Court of Justice indicated provisional measures requiring the Russian Federation to immediately suspend the military operations.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“As Europeans, we are wholeheartedly committed to defending such values, which are the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, and to strengthening multilateralism — doing things together, with the United Nations at its heart. For his presidency, the President has framed the general debate under the theme “A watershed moment”, and he stressed the need to find “transformative solutions to interlocking challenges”. I want to say that we are currently at a watershed moment for the entire world and for the United Nations. For almost seven months, the Russian Federation, which, I do not need to recall, is a permanent member of the Security Council, has been waging a full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, a sovereign neighbour, with the involvement of Belarus.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“First of all, I would like to endorse what my colleague Mr. Charles Michel just said on behalf of the European Union, since I come from a generation that has never seen war. We thought that war belonged only in history books. However, our continent is now experiencing war on its soil. I think that our strength is precisely our solidarity, our unison and, above all, our unity. I am proud that, with its partners, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is contributing to the European Union’s determined action to promote common values — human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and human rights.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Is it normal that today, whether I am Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant or Hindu, I have to ask myself if I can exercise my religion freely without being in danger when visiting my synagogue, my mosque or my church? Hope today is something that depends on where I live, where I was born, the colour of my skin, my sexuality. My only hope is that the hopes of yesterday, the hopes of humankind, can become a reality tomorrow for future generations.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“On the subject of vaccines, while in my country we are wondering whether to roll out a third vaccination programme, other countries are still waiting for their first dose to protect themselves. Today, the fact of being white, Black, mixed race or Asian can have an impact on one’s social success. Is it normal to have to hope that I could be born a certain way and have the same opportunities as someone else? I myself am married to a man, but in some countries, I would be sentenced to death. Is it right that a bisexual, transgender, lesbian or homosexual should be forced to live a life dictated by others, forced to fit into the moulds that others impose on them?”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Elsewhere on our continent, however, others have not been so lucky. We owe so much to the people who have died for us. In Luxembourg, we have an American cemetery full of the graves of young American soldiers who, for the most part, did not even know where Luxembourg was. Yet they died so that I could live today in a democracy. We must never forget them. That is why now more than ever, we have to find solutions together. We must not repeat what they went through. We owe others the right to live in peace today. When we talk about hope today, in 2021, it does not mean the same thing to everyone. In some countries, young people hope simply to survive, while others hope to have an education or the right to health.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Of course, lasting peace is also essential. My country is also ready to assist in adapting the United Nations so that it can better play its role as the linchpin of multilateral cooperation. Such adaptations will not be easy to achieve, but just because something is not easy does not mean we should sit back and do nothing. We must move forward. We support the calls to strengthen the General Assembly and to reform the Security Council in order to make it more representative, more effective and more accountable to all Member States. There are reasons to hope and to persevere. Above all, we must not throw up our hands. We must take action. Let us cooperate to overcome the trials that humankind faces. Like the vast majority of my generation in my country, I have never known war or conflict. I am part of that generation.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We are also seeing tensions between States and within societies that are currently experiencing a crisis of confidence. I must say that the discussions I have had in the past few days with some of my colleagues have not been very reassuring. I can sense that those tensions are still there and very much alive, and it is therefore up to us to try to create a dialogue. I do not want to talk about trust when such fundamental mistrust exists, but for the benefit of present and future generations we must create some small hope for dialogue between the countries where we have contacts in order to avoid conflicts. We consider the Secretary-General’s proposal to develop a new social contract anchored in human rights and to shape a new agenda for peace very relevant. We stand ready to contribute to efforts to restore trust and international law.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“But when we talk about human rights, we must also think about refugees and migrants. Let us consider the people who are fleeing Afghanistan. Let us not forget the journalists, the human rights defenders, the lawyers and the judges, all the people on whom we have relied over the past 20 years, whom we asked to be our partners. We cannot tell them that we no longer want anything to do with them and leave them in their current situation. Let us not forget them. Let us not disappoint them. They were our partners yesterday, and we are not going to turn our backs on them today. I am pleased to announce that in a few months’ time, the European Commission will hold a conference in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on the resettlement of vulnerable Afghans.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“President, regarding the importance of establishing such policies and committing to the rights and empowerment of women and girls. I think it is terrible that even now in some countries men think they know what is best for women. That is still a reality today. It is appalling that men should consider themselves better able than women themselves to decide what women need and what women should or should not do, whether in the area of education, health or sexual and reproductive rights. In 2021, the importance of such choices being made by the person concerned should no longer be called into question. We are also working for the protection of the rights of LGBTQI people. Fourthly, we will continue to systematically invest in children’s rights. Young people’s voices must also be heard.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“I would like to reaffirm our support for the International Criminal Court and the monitoring and investigation mechanisms set up within the framework of the United Nations. Our second relates to sustainable development and climate action based on human rights. We recognize the importance of the right to development and of ensuring that our ambitious climate action and cooperation policies take into account the strong links between the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the fight against climate change and respect for human rights worldwide. The third concerns gender equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination. My country has a feminist foreign policy, and in that regard I would like to point to the exchanges I had with you only this morning, Mr.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)