YouSaid · the spoken record

Gjorge Ivanov

lines on the record: 100
first: 2009-09-24
most recent: 2016-09-24
sittings or episodes: 5
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

“We must not be afraid, because fear is a filter through which we perceive only threats and not the possibilities that are before our very eyes. Changing our vision in order to make it correspond to reality is the easiest thing to do. The hardest part is to change reality in order to make it correspond to the noble vision of the United Nations. Part of that vision involves finding a way to promote global governance and order without establishing a world government and predominance of the powerful, and how to lay the foundations for a true multi-ethnic, multireligious and multilingual international society that is free, just, stable and safe.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“But on the dusty shelves of the past, besides conflicts, prejudice and enmities, we might also find models that enabled peaceful coexistence, respect and acceptance of diversity. One of them is our very own Macedonian model of integration without assimilation. Part of the task of the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations is to find such models, promote them and make them applicable to today’s modern, dynamic world. We must assist them in this respect so as to learn once again how to live with our deepest ethnic, religious, cultural and ideological differences. A philosopher once said that there might have been better times. However, this is our time, and we are responsible for it. We have to think about those who will come after us, the youth.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Let us allow them to introduce their new, fresh views into the new realities in which we live, unburdened by the prejudices from the past. The past should be a place of reference, not a place of residence. There is a saying that humankind is at its best when it has the highest degree of freedom. However, without laws, there is no freedom, only anarchy. If we wish to leave a safer world to future generations, we must respect international law. But we must also go back to the highest and most enduring moral principles and values, including respect for and acceptance of diversity. Often we invent new ideals because we are afraid of the old ones. We look to the future with great enthusiasm because we are afraid to look back to the past.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are aware that the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda is not a ready-made recipe for achieving greater well-being, a better life for our citizens, a more democratic society or a healthier environment for future generations, but it does contain solid guidelines on how to realize these goals. However, even here we are facing a paradox. We now have an international system that is trying to bring about sustainable development while encountering difficulty in maintaining itself. Young people are a generation of new technologies, a generation experiencing the advantages of global interconnection. Young people are already living in a world that provides access to an enormous amount of information. Let us allow them to introduce their idealism and perceptions into regional and global initiatives and organizations.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“This year, in the framework of the School of Young Leaders, held under my patronage for seven years in a row, young people from the Republic of Macedonia and from the wider region were all part of an “idea laboratory” in which they were able to develop projects on sustainable development; the promotion and development of public administration; infrastructure, educational and health-care issues; boosting employment; and reducing poverty. Such projects should be supported and promoted, and in that respect I have already initiated contact with the relevant entities in the World Bank. These are projects involving innovative ideas and creative solutions for youth, who are not slaves to the old worldview, which is slowly disappearing.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“For a long time, we have been the ones to decide on the future of youth, without allowing them to be part of the decision-making process. We took their needs, requests and wishes for granted, all the while expecting them to follow the rules of the game that we had created for them, without prior consultation. This is perhaps the reason why many global, regional and local policies were not supported by young people and remained on paper only. It is time for this to change. We need policies that are not only about youth, but ones that involve their participation. We need policies for youth, by youth. Let me give an example.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“As a signatory to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Republic of Macedonia has already established its national priorities and contributions with regard to climate change. The problem goes much deeper, though. It is high time that we try to find our way out of the labyrinth of crises. As President, but also as a university professor, I always listen to the voices of young people. I know very well the challenges that they are facing. The potential of youth is still restricted by a multitude of not only political but also mental, economic and educational barriers. Young people around the world still do not have equal opportunities for high-quality education and employment, and they also suffer from the cruel rules of the international market.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is also why we should not be caught off guard by the crisis with respect to trust in political elites and in the global order itself. As humankind, we have succeeded in achieving amazing scientific and technological developments that have paved the way for progress, simultaneously consuming all our free time and along with that the possibility of deeper thinking and contemplation. We thought ourselves to be the masters of nature, but we could not even overcome our own greed. This is a time of consumerism, moral relativism and extreme individualism. We have disturbed the fragile climate balance, the balance between humankind and nature, thus jeopardizing the future of our descendants. The Sustainable Development Goals, which the Republic of Macedonia fully supports, must correct that error.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“There is no problem that cannot be solved and no difference that cannot be overcome. The only precondition is to respect one another and to reach solutions through dialogue. Next year, the Republic of Macedonia will host the Brdo-Brijuni Process, an initiative that is slowly replacing declarative regional initiatives and mechanisms. My wish is to have the Prime Minister of Greece be a special guest at the summit. I spoke about some fundamental changes in the world that are divisive, dangerous and disorienting. However, the problem does not lie in those conditions. They are only the consequences of an accumulation of wrong positions, decisions and steps. That is why humankind has lost its way in a labyrinth of crises.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The sooner we deliver on those measures, the sooner we will be able to create a positive ambiance, so that we can find a solution to the issue of our name dispute within the framework of the Interim Accord, United Nations resolutions and the judgment of the International Court of Justice. I am a Macedonian, my fellow citizens are Macedonians, and I am speaking in the Macedonian language from this rostrum, which is why we ask everyone to respect us as Macedonians, just as we respect everyone else’s right to identify themselves as they feel. We respect the right to self-identification and human dignity of everyone else, and in the same way we ask for that to apply to us as well. As Macedonians, we wish to cooperate and to have the best possible relationship with all of our neighbours.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“With Greece, we have a difference that is subject to a process led by the United Nations. The two of us, as neighbouring countries, have one open issue, but thousands of areas of common interest and serious challenges, such as the migration crisis or security, which point to the need for close cooperation. The name dispute must not be allowed to impede maximum cooperation in all areas of common interest. But precious time has been lost. I therefore welcome confidence-building measures between the two countries, and I call for their expansion and the introduction of new content.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“And that is one of the classic examples of the lack of effectiveness of our world Organization. The indecisiveness of the European Union and NATO in failing to unblock the integration of the Republic of Macedonia was one of the main reasons for the perpetual internal political crisis in Macedonia, which reached a climax this year. However, the Republic of Macedonia is not an exception. The entire Balkan region is in stagnation. We see retrograde processes reappearing. The Balkan States believed, quite naively, that someone from the outside would solve all of their problems, and the EU obviously does not have such power. Ms. Kasese-Bota (Zambia), Vice-President, took the Chair. Even in such complex circumstances, the Republic of Macedonia is doing its utmost to maintain the best possible relations with its neighbours.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Owing to that problem, even today, we are still blocked in our efforts to join international organizations, such as NATO and the European Union. For five years now, the Republic of Macedonia has been waiting for the international community to observe and respect the judgment of the International Court of Justice. During the past few days, members of the Assembly have heard many statesmen speaking about the need to respect international law, and there will be just as many that will immediately forget what they were urging, once they step away from the podium. The judgment handed down by the International Court of Justice regarding the name dispute between Macedonia and Greece was delivered five years ago, as I reminded members of the Assembly two years ago, but that judgment has not been respected to this day.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Even Seneca, when explaining the essence of a city — in other words, a State — said: “The strength and security of cities are based on two things — the material from which houses are built and the laws that regulate relations.” A city is destroyed every time one of these two things is lacking. Owing to double standards and the lack of respect for international law, our international order is slowly devolving into global chaos and disorder. In our quarter of a century of independence, the Republic of Macedonia has been well and truly able to feel that cruel reality. On our path towards international recognition and integration, we have faced many blockages and suffered much injury. We have even had to deal with the denial of our right, as Macedonian citizens, to self-identification, without which there is no human integrity or dignity.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The persecution of people of different faiths and beliefs is becoming more and more visible, not only in non-secular, but also in developed secular societies. Under the current circumstances, some even ask whether, today, the United Nations would ever be able to adopt the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. The Organization represents all countries with all of their differences. However, when making compromises, we should be careful not to compromise the fundamental values, freedoms and vision of the Organization. That vision is written in both the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration on Human Rights.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“On this occasion, I would like to wish the best of luck to Mr. Kerim and reiterate the desirability of electing the new Secretary-General from the ranks of the Group of Eastern European States. At the same time, I wish to thank the current Secretary-General, my friend Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his unrelenting efforts to tackle the various challenges we face, but also to reform the Organization. However, as we discuss the reform of one of the most important elements of the United Nations system, we seem to forget that even the very goals of the Organization have been brought into question. We talk about human rights while neglecting one of the fundamental rights — the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Some are braver and recognize that fact, some are less brave, but I believe that they still respect what we have been doing. The attitudes towards migrants, so far, have even created ghettos without walls in some European countries, in which those who are different are tolerated without ever being truly respected or accepted. Such attitudes have led to isolationism and alienation and have generated breeding grounds for radicalism, violent extremism and terrorism. This year, the United Nations will elect a new Secretary-General. The Republic of Macedonia has nominated a former President of the General Assembly, Mr. Srgjan Kerim, for that high-profile position. We appreciate the efforts to make the process a transparent one that considers only the merits of each candidate. The selection process has already begun within the Security Council.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“We are taking measures and making decisions to protect our territory, and thereby also European territory. And for doing that, we have suffered criticism and threats in the form of the blocking of our integration processes. The indecisiveness of the EU in handling the migration crisis has jeopardized the security of the Republic of Macedonia. We were the first country in Europe to declare a state of crisis and to deploy army troops along the borders. As Supreme Commander, I am proud to say that with our crisis management system and a timely reaction, we have succeeded in protecting the national security of the Republic of Macedonia. I am aware, however, that many in Europe are thankful for what the Republic of Macedonia has been doing for them.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The European Union must find modalities and mechanisms to protect its borders, secure the corridors and integrate the migrants and refugees who have been admitted, but without assimilating them in the process. The Republic of Macedonia has been an independent country for 25 years now. Since the first day of our independence, we have faced continuous and direct threats coming from territories of the EU and NATO member States, or countries under United Nations administration. A large portion of our internal risks and dangers are the result of crises imposed on us from the outside. With the exception of bilateral assistance — for which we are more than grateful — the Republic of Macedonia has been facing crises and reducing risks on its own.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Apart from other things, Europe is currently facing two key challenges — the migration crisis and the threat of terrorism. The first migration wave eroded European institutions, mechanisms and policies. By preventing illegal migration, the Republic of Macedonia has succeeded in contributing to a large extent to overall security in Europe. Europe is already facing a second, more massive wave. More than 20 million migrants and refugees from Asia and Africa are located very close to the external borders of Europe. In the coming years and decades, millions of migrants will try to set foot on the European continent. The Republic of Macedonia has blocked illegal migration from entering deeper into EU territory.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Middle East, North Africa and many other regions are crumbling into bloody conflicts in which every day we see the mosaic of communities with different religions, languages and cultures, so painstakingly composed and cherished for centuries, being destroyed. Those conflicts have given rise to threats, risks, humanitarian crises and a new major movement of peoples. On the other hand, a new reality is looming on the European horizon. Under the pressure of the financial and debt crisis, the social and political seams holding the European Union (EU) together are slowly beginning to rip. By erasing internal borders without securing its corridors in the process, the European Union is now unable to protect its external borders.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“The Republic of Macedonia is part of a coalition that has destroyed many terrorist cells and won many battles in the past 15 years, but we have not yet won the war against terror. In that regard, we are facing a serious challenge. Just like the mythical Hydra, for every terrorist cell that is destroyed, it seems as though two others appear in its place. Terrorism in the twenty-first century has developed the ability to absorb defeats, withdraw, regroup and strike back. We are no longer dealing with organizations, but with movements aiming at conquering territories and being driven by ideas going far beyond ethnic, linguistic and cultural differences. In order to win the fight against terrorism, the use of military troops alone is not enough. It is necessary to fight using ideas and programmes to counter radicalization.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“Instead of international security and order, we have a lack of security and a lack of order. We have devalued the true and inalienable human rights and freedoms. Instead of respect for diversity, we are increasingly seeing persecution and the destruction of diversity. There are crises in many regions and at many levels. Conflicts are tending to spread and deepen faster than they can be resolved and rooted out. Their diagnosis is often belated, and the measures taken are reactive rather than preventive, resulting in short-term, painful decisions rather than long-term, less painful solutions. If we were to describe the situation in the world today in one word, it would be “instability”. We have been openly fighting global terrorism since the very beginning of this millennium.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“I am truly honoured to address this important forum as President of the Republic of Macedonia and to share with the Assembly the Republic of Macedonia’s positions on the challenges facing us today. The world is at a crossroads marked by numerous crises. We are in a period when fundamental changes are occurring in the world order. We are dealing with transformations that are difficult to stop or control. The centrifugal forces of globalization are calling into question the order that was established after the Second World War. And along with our redefinition of that order, we are redefining its values and principles. In a world in which the powerful do whatever they want and the weak do whatever they must, the rule of law has become the exception rather than the rule.”
2016-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 71 (2016)
“That is why it is necessary to educate young people about the importance of dialogue, which involves respect and the acceptance of diversity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Irina Bokova, the upcoming Dialogue among Civilizations in 2015, which will be entirely dedicated to youth. In the year when we are marking the centenary of the First World War, we recall the positive experiences of Charles de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer in establishing the Franco-German Youth Office in 1963. That experience of cooperation among young people should be applied in establishing an office for young Europeans from all the countries of South-Eastern Europe, transforming our region into a Europeanized Balkans. We call on the leaders to devote greater time and attention and invest in youth. We cannot change our past, but we can, by changing the present, change the past of the generations to come.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In 2003, we initiated the first Forum of the Dialogue among Civilizations, which was held in Ohrid under the leadership of former President Trajkovski. The Dialogue among Civilizations, both chronologically and in essence, predated the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations, which was formed in 2005 at the initiative of the Governments of Spain and Turkey. Indeed, only through dialogue will we join together in an alliance of civilizations. The Brdo-Brijuni Process Meeting was recently held with the participation of the German Chancellor, Her Excellency Mrs. Merkel. An entire chapter of the joint declaration is devoted to youth. As President of the Republic of Macedonia, it will be my honour to organize, together with the Director-General of UNESCO, Ms.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“As Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said at the opening of the sixty-seventh session of the General Assembly, “We shall have neither peace nor development without respect for human rights and the rule of law” (A/67/PV.6, p. 3). Only international law provides the opportunity to solve the equation and thus to plan the future, based on security, stability and peace. Young people continue to be the main victims of double standards and violations of the norms of national and international law by prior and current generations, as well as of natural disasters. They breathe the polluted air, drink the polluted water and eat food grown in contaminated soil. They will become the victims of systems of injustice unless we do something to change that.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Double standards generate issues that introduce equations with many unknowns, leading to a world where the only thing we are certain of is that the future of our children is uncertain. Only respect for international law will ensure greater certainty, thereby helping to avoid storms in our dynamic world. The Republic of Macedonia supports the reform of the Security Council as a significant part of the overall reform of the United Nations. It is a complex and sensitive process. We agree with the proposal to negotiate the actual text. At the same time, we stress that the text must receive maximum support from the membership and ensure respect for international law and international commitments and rules. Such reform must provide greater predictability in the world.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It is sad that this is happening in Europe, in a year that has been declared an international year of peace. It is obvious that, on the centenary of the First World War, the lessons of the past have not yet been learned. The majority of victims of the Ukraine crisis are innocent civilians. There have also been material losses. The Republic of Macedonia supports all efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in that country. I am convinced that political dialogue and diplomacy will enable Ukraine to address the challenges and regain its path towards a prosperous future for its citizens. The world is facing serious challenges, including natural disasters and political issues — both of which mask double standards.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Their homes have been devastated, their temples destroyed and their past erased, and their future is in question. Recognizing that terrorism cannot and should not be identified with any religion, nation or civilization, we strongly condemn mass atrocities committed by anyone anywhere. We commend yesterday’s debate in the Security Council (see S/PV.7272). What we need are urgent measures. The Republic of Macedonia has already taken the first steps. Recently, we adopted amendments to the criminal code regarding foreign fighters, who are a real threat to the entire region. Everything that is happening in the crisis hotspots reflects on Europe, which has its own crisis hotspot now in Ukraine. It is sad that in the twenty-first century we have witnessed tragedies in the Middle East and North Africa.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The failure to comply with international law has contributed to increased anarchy in international relations and interventions against those who have flooded, burned and destroyed the natural order today. Not long ago, in August, the sixth United Nations Alliance of Civilizations Forum, held in Bali, focused on unity in diversity. While the world has been talking about unity in diversity, radical extremists have become united in their intentions to destroy those who differ. As we speak, millions of faithful believers around the world feel the pain caused by narrow-minded individuals and groups imbued with religious fundamentalism. As we speak, the systematic destruction of individuals and communities is occurring. As we speak, hundreds of thousands are being persecuted.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“International law is the only barrier that protects us from a disaster within the international order, and international law has been constantly breached. We are in this Hall today as the highest representatives of our countries in the world family. I am confident that most members of the General Assembly agree with those conclusions. But the question is, how many of us are willing to take action to change things. I wish that we were not in a situation where we could simply debate and draw conclusions over and over again. It is high time that we start with actions. This is the last call. We should ask ourselves whether the natural order has an alternative and what that might be. Our failure to comply with natural laws has led to accelerated climate change — to more floods, earthquakes and fires.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In losing its light, the European Union is losing what has been most valuable — its power to motivate States to strive for even higher values, standards and criteria. I also want to send a clear message to my region that in these circumstances, now is the time for Balkan countries to demonstrate maximum solidarity and unity in achieving shared goals — cooperation on such issues as integration, our economies, infrastructure, energy, environmental protection, terrorism and the suppression of organized crime. We must resist and jointly address those shared challenges. In a world that is rapidly changing, the need for greater predictability in international relations remains. Only international law can offer the reliability and predictability on which world peace and the progress of our countries depend.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I want to send a message to partners in the European Union that by postponing its enlargement, the EU has been creating a vacuum in what has been historically the most porous geopolitical space. Sooner or later, that vacuum will be filled. That is why we need as soon as possible to integrate all the Balkan countries within the European Union. While the membership card is not that important for us, the necessary membership criteria and standards are important. In our case, the European Union’s beacon has grown dim because of its toleration of a devaluation of international law, human rights and the right to human dignity, which provide the essential fuel that powers the beacon.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In less than a decade, we have experienced two major changes. The terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001 shook the global political and security order, and the collapse of Lehman Brothers on 15 September 2008 struck the global economic order. The only remaining order of the world we used to know is the international legal order. However, the legal system has been challenged as well. The Republic of Macedonia sees its future in NATO and the European Union. With its expansion policy, the European Union has long served as a beacon lighting the path for the States of East and South-East Europe towards the more advanced European family. We were recently informed that this beacon will go out of service in the next five years. If it does, there will be the danger of shipwreck. The region of South-Eastern Europe remains vulnerable.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We do not want to follow the example of those who break the law, because we are aware of the consequences. If we remove one link, one factor or one participant from an ecosystem, that can cause instability and unpredictability in its functioning. We live in a world and an age of global interdependence, a global ecosystem. When a State fails to comply with international commitments, it encourages others to do the same. Today we are witnessing the consequences of such behaviour. Under the conditions of an impaired international legal system, the world has been rapidly sinking into the dark areas of anarchic international relations. The world order is in a latent crisis. The processes of global interdependence and subnational fragmentation have transformed our previous perceptions of the world.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Disrespect for the highest legal authorities implies an erosion of the culture of respect for international law in the world. Such an erosion suspends the rule of law and leaves room for anarchy. For years, we have pertinently pointed out that, if someone pollutes the spring, then its flow and the entire watershed will also be contaminated. If someone questions basic human rights — the right to human dignity and the right to self-identification — then the rest of international law will also be challenged. We have warned of the violation of international law in the case of the Republic of Macedonia, but others have rarely listened. Today, the price we pay is higher. Everyone calls upon international law when others are expected to respect it, but they ignore it when they themselves must respect it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“It continues to violate the various 1993 United Nations resolutions on the subject, as well as the 1995 Interim Accord. It also still ignores the ruling of the highest legal authority in the world. But that ruling does not apply only to the State that blocks us, the ruling applies, erga omnes, to all member States of the international organizations that still block our membership. Every blockade in our European and Euro-Atlantic integration process undermines the international legal order. By tolerating the blockades, a dangerous precedent is created, one of mutual blocking and blackmailing that is motivated by narrow national interests at the expense of the collective interests of the European Union and NATO. Hence, dysfunctional families are created that do not respect the rules of conduct.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I therefore urge the United Nations and the competent authorities to become engaged and to devote maximum attention to finding mutually acceptable solutions within the framework of international law. Two years ago, I was at the General Assembly (see A/67/PV.12) and remember well that the session was preceded by the High-level Meeting on the Rule of Law at the National and International Levels (see A/67/ PV.3). The General Assembly debated the Secretary- General’s report (A/66/749) entitled “Delivering justice: programme of action to strengthen the rule of law at the national and international levels”. Two years have passed, and we are still debating. We are still waiting for rulings of the International Court of Justice to be respected. Our southern neighbour continues daily to violate international law.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“For years my country has tolerated unprincipled and illegal blockades, and we have done so because of international law — because we believe that only international law can provide predictability and certainty on behalf of world order. By our example we have demonstrated in principle how other countries should respect international law. Even the International Court of Justice, in an almost unanimous decision, concluded that we had acted correctly. Despite that, the Republic of Macedonia is ready for a mutually acceptable solution under the framework provided by United Nations resolutions, the Interim Accord and the judgment of the International Court of Justice. The issue of identity has never been part of that framework, because identity can neither be discussed nor negotiated.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“That would force my country to violate a rule and betray the global family. In 2008 at the NATO Summit in Bucharest, basing its position on international law, my country refused to change the identity of the Macedonian people as a precondition for its already well-deserved membership in NATO. On 17 November 2008, we launched proceedings against our southern neighbour under the auspices of the International Court of Justice, again acting on the basis of international law. On 5 December 2011, on the basis of international law, the International Court of Justice ruled that the obstruction of the Republic of Macedonia’s integration in NATO was illegal and that international commitments had been violated.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“In fact, the human rights and human dignity of Macedonian citizens are being continually denied by one Member of the United Nations family and a member of NATO and the European Union. Identity and language are inseparable parts of our personality, of freedom of expression, of human rights. Those are universally accepted principles that should never be compromised. Respect for human rights, including the rights to self-identification and human dignity, represent the highest values of the United Nations and are among the political criteria for the Republic of Macedonia’s accession to the European Union. The country that is blocking my country is demanding the impossible, namely, that we give up the Macedonian identity, thereby violating the fundamental principles of the European Union in order to meet conditions for membership in it.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“The Republic of Macedonia is strongly committed to respecting the Charter of the United Nations, which is one of the primary foundations of the purposes and principles of international law. The rule of law is incomplete and impossible without respect for human rights. As a member of the Human Rights Council, the Republic of Macedonia is committed, in spirit and with determination, to protecting and promoting human rights and the right to human dignity throughout the world. The Republic of Macedonia has achieved the highest standards of respect for human rights and the rights of communities worldwide. That is possible thanks to the Macedonian model of coexistence as a model of integration without assimilation, which is not based on tolerance alone, but rather on respect for diversity.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We expect the post-2015 development agenda to include global, holistic, scientifically grounded, feasible and legally binding goals aimed at ensuring a safer world for our descendants. However, we should be aware that the natural balance is disturbed and that many things will therefore not be as before. We will need to learn to live in a changed world. Just as the challenge posed by nature is a result of the human neglect of natural laws, the challenge to the international order arises from the violation of international law by some countries. I said before that we are all one United Nations family. And in every family there are rules of conduct and mutual respect. Families without such rules are known as dysfunctional families.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Sam Kutesa, to take decisive and concrete measures to remedy two of the world’s great miseries: increased global poverty and diminished access to basic resources, including clean water, education, health care and a clean environment. Here at the United Nations, we are all one family; as a family, we should help each other to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. But we must focus on two things, that is, reducing global poverty and ensuring sustainable development. Next year will be one of great expectations worldwide, including the expectation that a genuine synergy involving all the major challenges will finally be achieved, inter alia, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Natural disasters at the global level serve as loud alarms telling us that climate change is a new reality that is changing our lives and the lives of future generations. Recently our region, South-Eastern Europe, was hit by such a disaster and reminded of that reality. The Republic of Macedonia is the first country in our region to have completed its third national report under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We have already defined the next steps in all key sectors of the economy and society at the national and local levels for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation by promoting strategies and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy efficiency. We welcome the initiative of the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-ninth session, His Excellency Mr.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“We are competing in a race for progress and new discoveries that goes hand in hand with a race for the unequal exploitation of resources — a race whose only rule is that there are no rules. Everything is possible and everything is allowed, including the pollution of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that produces our food. As humankind, we were selfishly focused on immediate needs and desires. We forget that natural resources have been given to us in trust to preserve for our children. In opposing nature, we are undermining the foundations of our future. Our citizens, States and economies have already begun to pay the price. We will face a period of extreme weather conditions, when it will become ever more likely that cities will be flooded, rivers will dry up, crops will fail and the price of food will increase.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“I am greatly honoured to address this forum and to share with the General Assembly the views of the Republic of Macedonia on issues of global concern. In the current dynamic, hyper- connected and changing world, one thing remains constant — the need for greater predictability, a quality on which peace, security and stability depend, as well as global welfare and progress. Humankind today faces many challenges, of which two demand our full attention. The first one relates to the natural world, and the second relates to the international order. The root of the first challenge is the human neglect of natural laws. The second challenge arises from the violation of international law. Guided by the idea that man is the measure of all things, humankind has made a wrong calculation.”
2014-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 69 (2014)
“Let us build a prosperous world for our future generations. We hope that our neighbour will make its way out of crisis as soon as possible. We have proposed a series of practical measures on how to upgrade our economic and good neighbourly cooperation, which should include a bilateral agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. Macedonian taxes are favourable for our neighbour’s businessmen and, as always, the doors of the Republic of Macedonia are wide open to them. The Republic of Macedonia firmly believes that the United Nations remains the centre of multilateralism and global governance. The Organization inspires universal dialogue, which in most cases results in joint solutions for handling global problems in order to reach a shared vision of the future of the international system.”
2012-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 67 (2012)