YouSaid · the spoken record

Michael FRENDO

lines on the record: 46
first: 2005-09-24
most recent: 2006-09-24
sittings or episodes: 2
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

“As a Mediterranean State, as a member of the European Union, as current Chair-in-Office of the Commonwealth and, generally, as a member of the international community of States, Malta is determined to continue to make a contribution in all those forums — and in this forum — towards the interests of peace, justice and the rule of international law in the world today and in the future.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In this context, we need to keep in mind the general without losing sight of the specific. The United Nations must remain the focus of the debate on this issue and needs to continue to engage with the world media to spread the message and spirit of fraternity in a world where large or small does not count. Equally, experience has amply illustrated that small countries, just as large ones, are essential to global security, cultural interchange and respect and tolerance for diversity.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Kofi Annan, we express our immense sense of gratitude and admiration for the way in which he has conducted his work over the past 10 years and for his total dedication to the cause of peace and the international rule of law. The cause of peace and the international rule of law are threatened daily by cultural and religious incomprehension. An alliance of civilizations, mutual respect and tolerance, acceptance of the other and of diversity, peaceful coexistence and cooperation and dialogue and education are the means which the international community has at its disposal to counteract the ugly phenomena of extremism and fanaticism. We cannot ignore this threat to peace and stability, a threat that is compounded by poverty and mass migration. We must further strengthen multilateralism as a means of world governance.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Over the past months, some slow progress has been made in following up the decisions taken at last year’s World Summit in this regard. We are all conscious of the efforts that need to continue at this session of the General Assembly on various aspects of institutional reform, including the most sensitive one, relating to the enlargement and reform of the Security Council. That matter has gained in urgency; the impasse should be broken by flexibility and openness to a search for common ground. A new Secretary-General will be taking the reins of this Organization in the new year. The person elected will need all our encouragement and support to fulfil the vital and demanding tasks of that unique office. To the outgoing Secretary-General, Mr.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Malta believes that this should be a joint task for the international community as a whole and calls on the international community to consider immediately the best means to respond to tsunami experiences with appropriate legal and other instruments that address the need for standards of transmission of early warnings to population in the most vulnerable areas in all the countries of the world. The setting of international standards for preparing for phenomena such as tsunamis can provide countries with an appropriate up- to-date measuring stick and continuously upgraded preparation. The international community needs multilateralism. The process of institutional reform is another necessary and important component of efforts to enhance effective multilateralism.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In particular, recent tsunami phenomena which were smaller but which also claimed lives have shown that while it is important for countries to have early warning systems that are interlinked, it is equally crucial to transmit the early warning received by a 06-53329 32 country immediately to people on the beaches and in the most vulnerable coastal areas and to have in place crisis management mechanisms that can accelerate evacuation to safety. This requires the setting of international warning-transmission standards across the globe, which, if effectively implemented, can save lives.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Located at the centre of the Mediterranean and fully aware of the havoc that a tsunami could cause in the basin, Malta calls for speeding up the implementation of a Mediterranean tsunami early warning and mitigation system. This goal needs to be achieved as soon as possible. We are prepared to play a proactive role together with other States in the region in establishing a fully functioning tsunami warning system. In such phenomena, not just regional but full global coverage is essential to the success of the system. The Assembly should examine what needs to be done to achieve this in the shortest time possible.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The tragic experience of the December 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami galvanized efforts to plot the outlines of an international early warning system across all oceans. That experience and its aftermath, however, show that much still remains to be done to respond more rapidly, efficiently and effectively to natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies. In this context, I note with great interest the valuable work done to date by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission’s Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Tsunami Early Warning and Mitigation System in the North-Eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Connected Seas.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The international community needs to continue to strengthen its tools for addressing natural emergencies wherever in the world they occur, in a spirit of solidarity with nations and human beings. In that regard, the decision taken earlier this year — as a follow-up to the Summit — on the revitalization and upgrading of the Central Emergency Revolving Fund — now the Central Emergency Response Fund — is an important step forward. In that context, the role of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, under the able leadership of Under-Secretary-General Jan Egeland, continues to be a crucial mechanism for dealing with the coordination needed to strengthen humanitarian responses to natural disasters and complex emergencies.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“A solution can be achieved only through strict and abiding respect for the rules and norms of international law, including humanitarian law. On the ground, the continuing and increasingly deteriorating humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people is an intolerable burden on the international conscience. We must acknowledge and applaud the sterling work being carried out by the Commissioner- General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Ms. Karen AbuZayd, and all of the Agency’s dedicated staff to assist the refugee population in no fewer than 58 refugee camps in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan, where one third of Palestinian refugees live.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The international community, through the United Nations and other mechanisms such as the Quartet, must maintain its concerted and determined efforts to find a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to this long-festering conflict, which has a bearing on all other issues in the Middle East and, indeed, in the wider global context. We welcome the intense and frank debate that took place last week in the Security Council on this issue (see S/PV.5530). The President returned to the Chair. Malta respects and supports the aspirations of the Palestinian people to nationhood and dignity, and in equal measure respects and supports the aspirations of the Israeli people to live in peace within secure borders. Those two aspirations are mutually compatible and achievable through peaceful and just means.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Another challenge for us all is to persevere in all our efforts to resolve conflicts, even if they seem to persist over long periods of time and regardless of the number of peace initiatives undertaken by the international community. The recent conflict in Lebanon was a tragic reminder of how easily a population can slide quickly back into a conflict situation. Today, the clouds have lifted a little so that new rays of hope can break through. We wish that country well. We believe that it could serve as a unique laboratory for democratic and cultural pluralism within a peaceful society in the Middle East. In the same region, a resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict remains elusive. Fatalism is not an option.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In that regard, we must pay particular attention to the prolonged impasse that has thwarted the work of the Conference on Disarmament. That impasse is endangering the very multilateral mechanisms that were created to foster peace, security and cooperation. States members of the Conference have a grave responsibility towards all United Nations Member States in helping humanity to address the challenges of non-proliferation, disarmament and arms control. As the Secretary-General stated in his address to the Conference on Disarmament last June, “With political will, this Conference can reclaim its former mantle and generate tangible benefits that could shape the course 31 06-53329 of history” (CD/PV.1028, p. 5). That is a challenge for us all.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“As a number of dramatic experiences have already shown, the consequences of lack of respect for the planet and its environmental balances have been borne in particular by the world’s poor, whether in developing or developed economies. A concerted effort by all mankind is therefore required in this area. The United Nations is the appropriate forum for addressing these issues, which affect all countries. The fragility of our planet and its ecosystem means that all of us have a greater responsibility to act rapidly and together. A global partnership for development needs to be carried out in peace and stability. However, in today’s world, global peace and security are constantly threatened by destructive and violent events.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In focusing on development issues, we must emphasize that development needs to be sustainable, to respect the environment and to take into account the rights of future generations, children, young people and those yet unborn. Development does not mean a free- for-all attitude towards the exploitation of the Earth’s bountiful resources. There must be sustainable development that allows our forests to regenerate, our air to be pure and our seas to be free of pollution. Climate change and global warming are not issues that can be relegated to intellectual exercises. Positive political action is required to address the problems related to global warming and to prevent an exacerbation of the consequences of lack of care for the environment.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“This issue was also examined in detail during the High-level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, which took place last week. Malta, which took an active part in the Dialogue, looks forward to greater engagement on the part of countries of origin, transit and destination. In particular, we look forward to the high-level conference on migration of the European Union and the African Union, scheduled to be held in Tripoli, Libya, before the end of this year. Such engagement, which should have the active support of international organizations operating in this field, would continue the process of “trialogue”, which was successfully undertaken at the Rabat Conference last July. It could also serve as effective follow-up to the recent United Nations Dialogue.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“No country can tackle such an overwhelming phenomenon on its own. Illegal immigration requires a holistic international approach that includes combating criminal organizations — particularly in the countries of origin and transit — and strengthening border control; promoting good governance, economic development and the rule of law; resettling refugees and persons with humanitarian status; and returning illegal immigrants to their countries of origin and transit and reintegrating them into society. As part of such a holistic approach, we must take into consideration the special characteristics of a number of particularly vulnerable countries on the routes of migration between Africa and Europe, which, as countries of destination, are carrying a burden far greater than they can bear.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I therefore call on the General Assembly and the United Nations as a whole — but in particular the UNHCR — to lend their full support to those countries that, like Malta, have an inherent fragility arising from density of population and smallness of territorial size in their efforts to combat illegal immigration and address the hardships that they experience as countries of destination. Malta needs support — including from the UNHCR — in the resettlement of refugees and persons with humanitarian status. It needs support in shouldering the financial burden that it assumes in providing for the basic needs of the illegal immigrants on its soil. It needs international support in combating the criminal organizations that are benefiting financially from illegal immigration while putting the lives of immigrants at risk.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“We urge the United Nations and its agencies to address the issue of mass illegal immigration holistically and with vigour and urgency. In that endeavour, all the countries of world are called upon to combat criminal organizations that, across frontiers, are taking advantage of the aspirations of human beings who have nearly lost all hope. The rule of law 06-53329 30 must be respected. International obligations undertaken by countries in accordance with public international law must be honoured. Ignoring or insufficiently addressing the phenomenon of illegal immigration puts at risk the hard-won rights of genuine refugees and persons who must be protected with humanitarian status under international law.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Lack of development, security and good governance has a direct effect on a country such as mine, which, with 1,200 persons per square kilometre, is already one of the most densely populated countries in the world. In addition, it is a small island State with a small population of 400,000. The burden of underdevelopment and lack of security in Africa, in particular sub-Saharan Africa, is therefore inordinately borne by my country, which is suffering real hardship as thousands of illegal migrants reach our shores. The 2005 statistics of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) rank Malta as the country with the second- highest number of asylum applications, in contrast to a 15.6 per cent decrease in asylum applications across the rest of the European Union.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“In terms of per capita income, 18 of the 20 poorest countries in the world are in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest poverty rate in the world, and the situation of chronic food insecurity has not improved over the past decade. Four fifths of armed conflicts occur in Africa and Asia. Clearly, there can be no development without security and no security without development. The realities of poverty, conflict and insecurity are at the root of the phenomenon of mass migration from Africa to Europe along the major routes — into the Canary Islands and mainland Spain in the eastern Mediterranean, and into Malta and Italy in the central Mediterranean.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“Sustainable development in the economic, social and environmental sphere constitutes a key element of the overarching framework of United Nations activities. We support that approach and, convinced of the ripple effect of development policies that benefit all mankind, urge the General Assembly to increase its focus on development issues. Poverty eradication and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are the priorities for this decade. In this regard, the Millennium Development Goals Report 2006 indicates that certain regions of the world have made much less progress than others. Extreme poverty remains a daily reality for the more than 1 billion people who subsist on less than one dollar a day. Whereas Asia leads the way in reducing poverty rates, the number of poor people in Africa is rising.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“I would like to congratulate Ms. Haya Rashed Al-Khalifa on her election to the presidency of the General Assembly at its sixty-first session. I am confident that her efforts will ensure a successful outcome of this session. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing President, His Excellency Jan Eliasson, with whom the Assembly worked over the past 12 months on the successful implementation of many of the major reform tasks agreed upon at the Summit last year. The theme chosen by the President for this year’s session — “Implementing a global partnership for development” — strikes at the heart of the challenges facing mankind today. It also reflects the Summit’s emphasis on the interlinked and mutually reinforcing nature of development, peace and security and human rights.”
2006-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 61 (2006)
“The situation of constant flux and dynamic change further increases the need for the United Nations to be a reformed, effective focal point for the international community, one that is ready to respond to, and proactively work to meet, the challenges of peace, security and development. This year, which marks the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations, it is useful for us to approach the exercise of reform keeping in mind the words of the Secretary-General in his report, “In larger freedom”, that “the principles and purposes of the United Nations, as set out in the Charter, remain as valid and relevant today as they were in 1945, and that the present moment is a precious opportunity to put them into practice”. (A/59/2005, para. 153).”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest admiration and support for the Secretary- General for the major contribution that he has been making towards effective multilateralism and respect for the international rule of law. Our challenges have never been as global as they are today. Recent natural disasters have emphasized to all of us our vulnerability as the human race. Globalization in all its aspects, including global communication, has not only brought home to us the immediacy of events and information, but has also further accelerated dynamic change in all aspects — political, economic and social — in all societies on Earth.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The institutional set-up and functioning of the United Nations have been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent months. This has laid bare some of the weaknesses of our Organization. At the same time, it has highlighted the many areas in which our Organization is playing a unique and indispensable role in the process of multilateral cooperation. Regrettably, instances of human and institutional failures have been brought to light. At the same time, the much larger number of instances where the institutions are working well and where individuals are acting with admirable commitment and dedication have also been given prominence. In particular, developments in recent months have placed in a sharper focus the commitment and dedication of the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, in carrying out his exceptionally complex and demanding task.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“13 The expansion of political rights and political participation is an essential dimension of the broader strategy to combat extremism in its various manifestations throughout the world. Malta welcomes the intensifying transatlantic engagement in this regard which, especially in the Middle East, seeks to foster wider participation in support of home-grown economic, political and educational reform efforts for societies in the region. The European Union is also cooperating increasingly with the African Union in the implementation of actions and decisions agreed within the framework of the United Nations. We hope that that encouraging development will further reinforce the many peacekeeping, humanitarian relief and reconciliation efforts under way in many parts of the African continent.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Following the entry of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, the next stages of that process could encompass a number of countries in our region, such as Croatia and Turkey. Malta believes that the further enlargement of the Union would provide an impetus for positive reform in European countries in general and for the creation of a wider European area of peace, stability, democracy and human rights dedicated to the prosperity of its peoples in a spirit of solidarity. Malta welcomes the fact that the European Union is increasingly acting as a promoter of peace and cooperation in regions beyond its immediate vicinity. That is the case with regard to the framework for wider cooperation provided by the Strategic Partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Those actions include areas of primary interest for Malta and its immediate neighbours, such as the management of migration flows, the promotion of human rights, democratization, counter-proliferation and counter-terrorism efforts, the acceleration of increased market integration and the objective of improving the social and economic living conditions of all peoples in the region, especially the most vulnerable among them. The further economic, social and political integration of the Euro-Mediterranean region is the primary challenge of the countries belonging to it and would have beneficial consequences for the international community as a whole. Malta is particularly interested in developments relating to the future enlargement of the European Union.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We are convinced that the ultimate objective — the existence of two neighbouring, viable sovereign States, living in peace and security, is within reach and certainly worth the effort and sacrifice involved at this stage. In the Mediterranean, regional cooperation continues to be strengthened through the Barcelona process and other initiatives for subregional consultation. Within the broader framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, countries to the north and the south of the Mediterranean are working together on a wide range of actions to further peace, prosperity and progress in their region.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We acknowledge and salute the bold and tough decisions taken by both the Israeli and the Palestinian leadership, which are making this development possible. We have a clear sense of the complexities and sensitivities involved for both sides in pursuing their respective actions. Together with our partners in the European Union, Malta wishes to encourage this latest development as a path towards the full resumption of the Middle East peace process. This calls for a continuing determination by both sides not to allow obstacles to stand in the way of their carrying out the next set of actions called for under the Quartet road map: Israel’s freezing of all settlement activity, and the cessation of all violent attacks by Palestinians against Israelis everywhere.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Aside from agreeing on a new set of tasks and measures for reform, at last week’s summit our leaders reaffirmed and further developed the concepts and principles that lie at the heart of the United Nations. Those concepts and principles will inspire the deliberations of the Assembly’s current session as it considers the many specific issues on its agenda. Issues of peace and security are a major part of that agenda. They are particularly poignant today, the International Day of Peace. Malta welcomes the recent evolution of the situation in Palestine, marked by Israel’s disengagement from the occupied territories in Gaza and parts of the West Bank. We urge the parties concerned to maintain the momentum for peace that has been created.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“In particular, we must not be passive when we see situations around the world where States have been unable to provide a social welfare net for their peoples and where, as a consequence, the poor and the desperate conglomerate around extremist organizations, which may also practice terror while simultaneously providing welfare assistance to strengthen their popular base. Social responsibility for the provision of welfare should be in the hands of the State, which represents society in all its diversity. In my view, it is imperative that international development programmes should also have that particular focus. The ultimate objective of the current session of the General Assembly should continue to be progress towards the conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“On the basis of that recognition, we urge immediate steps to intensify and expand concrete actions that respond to the immediate concerns of our citizens. The elements of a counter-terrorism strategy announced by the Secretary-General earlier this year provide a useful pointer in the right direction. 12 We need to take our collective action against terrorism further. Malta believes that no terrorist action is ever excusable, and our action against terrorism must be unequivocal, firm and decisive at all times and in all instances. However, we must deeply analyse and examine the roots of the problem.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“That is an area of international cooperation where the interface between action at the regional and global levels is critical. The task entrusted to us by the summit to finalize the modalities of the Peacebuilding Commission by December this year is among the most far-reaching responsibilities of the current session of the General Assembly. Another area where international cooperation is especially important concerns the fight against terrorism. Notwithstanding the differences that might remain on the precise interpretation and scope of the concept, there is a widespread commitment to resisting and eliminating that outrageous and horrific attack on the everyday order and serenity of life in our societies and the right of ordinary people to a secure and peaceful life.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Respect for State sovereignty, the strict parameters on the use of force and the overarching commitment to respect and defend human dignity and the right to life owed to all individual human beings are all vital aspects of the decisions taken by the summit in this regard. Further work in that area must continue to be inspired by the sense of solidarity which is shared by people around the world and the common, worldwide ethical responsibility to act to defend the innocent. Effective post-conflict peacebuilding is an important dimension in which the international community can give practical expression to the notion of collective responsibility. We therefore strongly welcome the agreement to establish the Peacebuilding Commission, which underlines and reinforces the United Nations capacity in the area of peacekeeping and peacebuilding.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Nevertheless, they were an important step towards the objective of equipping the United Nations with a more effective institutional structure to deal with the defence and promotion of human rights worldwide. In the current session of the General Assembly, we will aim to bring to fruition the summit’s decisions in the area of human rights, especially the establishment of the Human Rights Council. Another area where questions of human dignity are of paramount importance relates to the principle of the responsibility to protect. Our leaders have taken a brave step by reconciling the different strands of that principle, which seeks to encapsulate an important moral duty in the development of the law of nations.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Malta’s national contribution will be commensurate with its possibilities and its level of economic development. Nevertheless, it will take inspiration from our constant endeavour to strengthen and enlarge the areas of peace, prosperity and security for all peoples of the world. We will have a renewed opportunity to reaffirm those commitments in November, when Malta hosts the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and assumes the chairmanship of the Commonwealth for the next two years. Peace and prosperity must be rooted in human dignity. Our leaders devoted a significant part of their discussions last week to the question of human rights. The summit decisions on this subject may not have gone as far as some of us would have wished.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“It will give us an important further opportunity to discuss the multidimensional aspects of that problem and identify appropriate ways of dealing with them. Malta will take an active and constructive part in that dialogue. Last week’s summit provided important new guidelines in many critical areas requiring collective action. In the area of development cooperation, there has been a rededication to the objectives first defined in the Millennium Development Goals. Malta joins its partners in the European Union in strengthening its commitment towards increased and more effective development assistance in the coming years. We have set ambitious goals for the successful completion by next year of the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“11 At the same time, the spirit of solidarity inspiring action in this area needs also to be put to use in addressing the roots of illegal economic migration, a phenomenon that is harmful not only to the individuals themselves — who fall victim to callous criminal organizations, often paying with their lives — but also to the economic and social development of the countries of origin. For that reason, we welcome the summit statement reaffirming the principle of solidarity and burden-sharing with regard to assisting genuine refugee populations and their host communities. In that context, we look forward to the General Assembly’s high-level dialogue on international migration and development, to take place in 2006.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“Illegal immigration constitutes a collapse of the international legal order and must be addressed unequivocally by the world community as such in order to ensure that the rule of international law is restored in that regard. Countries of origin and transit need to assume their responsibility to uphold the rule of law by vigorously clamping down on international criminal activity in human trafficking. The United Nations and its agencies, particularly the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, are called on to address this issue, which, if it is not addressed, could prejudice the rights of genuine refugees and persons qualifying for humanitarian status in accordance with international law.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“We are deeply conscious that long- term action in this area needs to be premised on profound respect for human dignity and strict adherence to the rule of law, including international humanitarian law. However, the international community must not allow the rights of refugees and persons requiring humanitarian status in accordance with international law to be undermined and prejudiced by international criminal organizations specialized in human trafficking activity. In our case, our ability to respond to genuine cases is fast becoming overwhelmed by the huge increase in illegal immigrants, who are the object of an international criminal network of human traffickers.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“It is unfortunate but true that the blind forces of nature are not the only cause of extensive suffering among fellow human beings. Political and economic developments, over which Governments, individually or collectively, have at least some element of control, are also factors in play. Nowhere are the combination of natural and man-made causes more dramatic than in those instances of unregulated and often tragic migration flows. Over the last few years, Malta, like many countries, has been caught in the worrisome increase of unregulated human trafficking across the Mediterranean. In our case, as a small island with a very high population density, the problem quickly assumed crisis proportions. Malta has a strong and longstanding commitment to help those who need humanitarian assistance. We shall stand by that.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The past 12 months have produced awesome evidence of the way in which humanity remains subject to the forces of nature. The tsunami late last year and Hurricane Katrina only a few weeks ago are only the most prominent among recent major catastrophes which intensify both our sense of vulnerability and our sense of solidarity. In extending our expression of grief and sympathy to the Governments and people afflicted by such disasters, the Maltese people have also extended their offers of succour and relief. While times like these remind us that nature can be unpredictable in its ferocity, they also teach us that it must always be treated with respect. If managed responsibly, nature’s resources can improve our lives considerably. However, if those resources are ruthlessly exploited, humanity will be the ultimate loser.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“The summit has passed on to us significant tasks in the continuing endeavour to sustain and reinforce the processes of multilateral cooperation. It is right that we should take as the central theme of our discussions the follow-up and implementation of the summit conclusions. In the light of the discussions our leaders had last week, we approach these responsibilities all the more inspired by the imperative for collective action. Such action is incumbent on the international community, as much in dealing with the short-term challenges it has to overcome as in defining the long-term objectives which it seeks to achieve. Among the most immediate and visible challenges confronting us is the way in which we respond to the natural disasters which at one time or another engulf peoples and societies around the world.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)
“I would first like to congratulate Mr. Jan Eliasson upon his election to the 10 presidency of the General Assembly at its sixtieth session. He has an important and challenging task ahead. In carrying out his duties, he can be assured of my full support and of that of the Maltese delegation. I take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the outgoing President of the fifty-ninth session, His Excellency Mr. Jean Ping. The last 12 months have demanded exceptional leadership and commitment from the presidency of the General Assembly. I wish to join others in congratulating Mr. Ping on the firm and successful way in which he has guided this Assembly in the preparations leading to the summit which was just concluded.”
2005-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 60 (2005)