YouSaid · the spoken record

Andrzej Duda

lines on the record: 193
first: 2015-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
sittings or episodes: 9
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

“Fourthly, we have developed plans to adapt cities to climate change. Fifthly, we have drafted a long-term programme to change the economic profile of one of Poland’s strongest economic regions — Silesia. First and foremost, Poland emphasizes the issue of a solidarity-based and just, low-carbon transition. We are also convinced that building a green economy is possible only when voices of all social groups are duly taken into account. Environmental policy must be understood as a social policy and cannot be used as an instrument to gain economic advantage derived from the different energy mixes of individual economies or reserves of natural resources at hand. The issue of the environment should be seen in the wider context of debate on sustainable development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Responding to the call for a higher level of ambition on environmental protection, in conjunction with yesterday’s Climate Action Summit, convened by the Secretary-General, on behalf of Poland I have proposed five initiatives that are either already under way or about to be implemented at the national level. In pursuit of sustainability, the aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and their production will be balanced through their absorption by ecosystems and adaptation to climate change. First, we have created a programme that is aimed at reducing household emissions. Secondly, we will seek to reduce emissions from public transportation. Thirdly, through large-scale afforestation programmes, we want to enhance the absorption of emissions by ecosystems, which should bring us closer to climate neutrality.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Only together can we save our natural environment. The fact that the document crowning COP 24 was adopted unanimously is all the more gratifying. After laborious negotiations, part of this arrangement resulted in the acceptance of the Just Transition Declaration. For me, it is a source of great satisfaction that this concept, coined during the Katowice Conference, is now part of the official language used by the European Union and the Environmental Action Program (EAP) of the newly formed European Commission. Let me assure members of the Assembly that Poland will support the European Commission in the implementation of the just transition concept, as defined at COP 24.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Therefore, I would like at this point to thank all the political leaders for their personal commitment and presence in our meetings, both during the COP 24 leaders summit and in the closing stretch of the negotiations in Katowice. Thanks to the Katowice climate package, the world has at its disposal a set of guidelines on operationalizing the Paris Agreement and taking related action. I realize many of us believe that more needs to be done to protect the environment and that our ambitions should be greater. However, I also believe that the essence of the fight to counter the negative processes taking place in the natural environment lies primarily in building international consensus on the issue, and one cannot transgress its limits. Ambitions must be expressed together because only then can they be realized.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Today, as President of the Republic of Poland, I would like not only to take stock of Poland’s achievements in the field of promoting peace in the world, but also to emphasize our contribution to solving the second key challenge of the contemporary world, which is caring for the natural environment. We will soon be handing over to Chile the presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Our term in office has produced a significant contribution to global climate policy. At COP 24, held in Poland, the Katowice Rulebook was adopted. The objective of COP 24 was to provide a manual on how to implement the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. That is what we achieved.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Enhancing mutual understanding and cooperation among ethnic, cultural and religious groups is more important than ever before. That is why, for several years now, Poland has been calling for the increased engagement of international organizations in promoting full respect for the rights of religious minorities and in ensuring freedom of religion and belief. A living testament to the Polish commitment to the cause is the fact that this year the General Assembly decided to designate 22 August as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“These people are particularly exposed to a range of negative phenomena associated with conflict and post-conflict situations — violence, threats to life and health and difficulties in accessing health care, education, rehabilitation and, in extreme cases, life-saving humanitarian aid. In June, on the initiative of Poland, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 2475 (2019), the first ever devoted to persons with disabilities in armed conflicts. Fourthly, and finally, we promote the protection of the rights of persons belonging to religious minorities. We are concerned about the surge in violence and religious hatred. We are particularly painfully aware of the spreading violence against Christians, and yet freedom of religion is one of the fundamental human rights and freedoms.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is a universal and historically unprecedented international document that relates solely and exclusively to children. This groundbreaking Convention has changed the way we think about children. It has given children the protection they need and deserve. Children are the most vulnerable group in terms of exposure to the consequences of conflict. In this connection, we are placing particular emphasis on the problem of the reintegration of children previously enlisted in armed groups and of children born as a result of sexual violence in wars. Thirdly, we call for strengthening protection for persons with disabilities in conflicts.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Poland, which in its history has tragically experienced genocide and war crimes as a result of acts of aggression from other countries, will always unalterably be on this side of the law and on this side of the victims of violence. We have strongly and consistently emphasize this point in international forums. First of all, through our work in the Security Council, we emphasize the indisputable role of international law in maintaining the global security architecture that was created after the Second World War and in protecting civilians in armed conflicts. Secondly, we remain a consistent advocate of children’s rights. This year we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Poland initiated. It has a special dimension for us.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The law exists not only for the benefit of States, but for the benefit of humankind as a whole and for the benefit of each individual. A violation of its norms must produce consequences and individuals responsible for such breach must be held accountable. It was in this spirit that, during its presidency of the Security Council in 2018, Poland organized a high-level debate on the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law in the maintenance of international peace and security, which I presided over as President of the Republic of Poland (see S/PV.8262). I would like to make it very clear that international law is the strongest tool that civilized nations have to ensure long-term peace. Peace comes through law — there can be no peace without the law.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are making efforts to ensure peace and justice in the name of peace and freedom, which are so dear to us. This year we are coming to the end of Poland’s two-year membership of the Security Council — an experience we regard as valuable and meaningful. Our tenure has emphasized the role of my country which, as a founding Member of the United Nations, considers itself an integral part of the great international system of cooperation between nations and States. It is primarily common values, objectives and legal norms that bind the system together. The past few years have unfortunately shown that international law is often challenged and disavowed today, even though it is precisely international law that provides the basis for the implementation of principles such as the sovereign equality of States, justice, responsibility and security.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Unfortunately, as recent years have shown, that same temptation to deal with the aggressor exists today as it did then. I firmly believe that it is high time to shake ourselves out of the state of lethargy inherited from the past and stop repeating the same mistakes. In this vein, as President of the Republic of Poland, I cannot fail to refer to the situation in our part of Europe. I want to make it clear once again that every country has an equal right to self-determination. Poland has been and will continue to be a champion of independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, both for Ukraine and Georgia. State borders must not be changed by force. Poland, so gravely affected in the previous century, has a moral duty to speak out very clearly on this matter — and we are doing so.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“There is also the temptation today to buy time for peace through passiveness and submission, and sometimes even parlaying with aggressors in the name of one’s own interests, submission or appeasement, thereby succumbing to dangerous illusions that one can bargain with an aggressor at the expense of others in order to prolong peace for oneself. Such parlaying, in other words, involves pursuing individual interests, often economic, in one’s relations with aggressors, while at the same time invoking solidarity with the victims of aggression in grandiloquent words. When creating the United Nations out of the ruins of the previous world order, we were guided by a completely different set of tenets. The guiding principle was “never again”. It seemed that we had all learned the cruel lessons of the Second World War.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“I would now like to repeat what I said during the commemoration ceremony in Warsaw with regard to the outbreak of the Second World War, which is that, despite the progress of civilization, despite that terrible lesson, today, in the twenty-first century, acts of incomprehensible barbarity are still being perpetrated all over the world — ethnic cleansing, mass murders and even genocide. Moreover, we continue to see assaults on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, and borders are still being moved by force. Looking at this, one cannot help but draw historical analogies.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“On 1 September, we commemorated in Warsaw the eightieth anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War, which began with an attack on Poland by two totalitarian States and two criminal ideologies, German Nazi Hitlerism and Soviet Stalinist communism. The Second World War, which violated the fundamental rights of nations and States to self-determination, claimed nearly 18 million victims worldwide and became a long-term trauma for millions more. This extremely painful historical experience has left its mark. Not only has it influenced international relations in the decades since, but it has also greatly affected the cultural and social consciousness, shaping both the ideas that we profess today and the goals that we set and pursue.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“English interpretation provided by the delegation): I warmly congratulate Mr. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the General Assembly at its seventy-fourth session, on his election to that honourable position. I pledge Poland’s full support for his mission. I also warmly thank Ms. Espinosa Garces for her active work as President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session. Peace, environmental protection and welfare are the three concepts on which I would like to centre my message today. Those three concepts should also serve as a cement that binds the entire international community: peace through respect for the law, environmental protection achieved through cooperation and co-responsibility, and welfare through engaging for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“It is up to us how effective we will be in using it for the sake of building peace and ensuring justice and sustainable development — in other words, building a better world, worthy of the twenty-first century, for us and, first and foremost, for future generations, our children and our grandchildren.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It also provides a reason to look to the future and an inspiration to sensibly shape our common international reality based on historical experiences, values and aspirations. I encourage all Member States to collaborate even more closely on initiatives aimed at achieving the objectives that guide the Organization. Only decisions taken jointly by political leaders can effectively address the challenges faced by a globalized world. Poland subscribes to the view that our common future requires a strong and effective international community that will better accommodate the needs of humankind. That, however, will depend mainly on us, since the United Nations is not an abstract entity but our common achievement.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Only provisions applicable in the long-term and accepted by all actors are able to guarantee transparency, legal security and the sustainability of rules, which are indispensable to the implementation of the adopted obligations and for strengthening global ambitions. COP 24 will be launched at a summit of leaders, to be held on 3 and 4 December, and offers an excellent opportunity to express our common and responsible political will. It will also send a clear message to the world that our efforts are aimed at securing a safe future for all. Once again, I wish to invite all Member States to attend the Katowice summit and ensure a high turnout for the event. The centenary of Poland’s recovery of its independence leads us to reflect on the fate of Europe and the world and on my country’s difficult road to freedom and independence.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“A complete and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement is inextricably linked with the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, global climate action should incorporate the economic, social and environmental dimensions, and be conducive to stopping global warming and eradicating the most serious problems of the modern world. The implementation package to be adopted in Katowice provides an essential basis for action to be taken by State entities and non-governmental organizations, including international financial institutions, the private sector, local authorities and civil society organizations.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“At the same time, Poland regards it as its duty to draw the attention of the international community to the sources of threats to world peace resulting from frozen conflicts, occupation and the shifting of borders by force, which is happening in Eastern Europe. The international community must not allow a return to business as usual, and the actions of the aggressors should be met with an appropriate response. In December, Poland will have the honour to host the twenty-fourth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24) in the city of Katowice. The primary goal of that meeting is to finalize work on the provisions implementing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Poland is involved in the process of stabilizing the Korean peninsula and building lasting security there — not only now, in its capacity as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, but also as a member for dozens of years of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission in Korea. I am convinced that our long- term experience within the Commission could serve to establish permanent foundations for peace and stability on the peninsula. Given the extensive experience it accumulated during the period of political transformation, Poland stands ready to become actively engaged in the international peace rebuilding and consolidation programmes in the Middle East, wherever it is necessary, post-conflict, to restore stability and provide development opportunities.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, we deem that task to be of crucial importance. Poland actively supports all actions and initiatives aimed at preventing the use and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, as well as bringing those who use such weapons to justice. Poland intends to return to active participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions. We have submitted a formal application to the Secretariat in that regard and look forward to its positive evaluation. We are convinced that our many years of experience in that field will contribute to the peaceful resolution of conflicts.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As a nation with unique experience of a peaceful democratic transformation and a struggle for fundamental freedoms, Poland attaches particular importance to the protection and promotion of human rights, as exemplified by my country’s bid for membership of the Human Rights Council for the 2020-2022 term. Our membership of that body, which is unique in the global human rights protection system, would serve as a natural complement to our current membership of the Security Council, in accordance with the fundamental United Nations triad of peace and security, human rights and development. The Charter of the United Nations endows the Organization, especially the Security Council, with a special responsibility for addressing matters pertaining to international peace and security.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is about values that go beyond the political order and are not politically defined, for they are the foundation of the global order. International relations serve not only States but all humankind. Therefore, a State’s sovereignty should be fundamentally linked to its responsibility for ensuring respect for common norms for the good of all. Violations of those norms must have consequences. Whenever leaders violate fundamental human rights, engage in torture, persecute their political opponents or use weapons of mass destruction, the international community, including the Security Council, should respond swiftly, decisively and boldly.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Secondly, it is important that multilateralism serve a certain system of values instead of being just one element of a political technology and a game of interests. Such a system of values is reflected in the Charter of the United Nations. Negative multilateralism, which contravenes those values, may only exacerbate global problems and aggravate the situation. On the other hand, the voluntary cooperation of States, equal in rights, can bring lasting peace to Europe and the world. Every time an attempt to create a concert of Powers is born, global stability is undermined. Whoever promotes negative multilateralism contributes to the disintegration of the global order. Multilateralism is meant to be a commitment to respecting values, especially fundamental values such as respect for human dignity and life.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“As President of the Republic of Poland, I am particularly attached to two areas of application of that principle: first, the awaited reform of the Security Council, which we support and want to participate in, and which should include among its leading themes expanding the field of equal rights and competences of all Council members; and secondly, a reform of the European Union, which emerged from the concept of positive multilateralism that today is being repeatedly violated, by returning it to its origins. Next year, Poland will organize a series of initiatives centred around the idea of sovereign equality. The aim of that effort is to win over as many supporters of our vision as possible. I invite one and all to participate in those debates.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“That applies both to political and economic relations, since only if the principle of the equality of States is respected can we talk about shared interests and enter into real alliances. However, the concept of positive multilateralism to which Poland subscribes goes one step further. It claims that, wherever possible, weaker countries should be given additional opportunities to have an impact in order to make the equal rights of States more realistic. Such opportunities can encompass additional voting power or additional territorial representation in decision-making bodies.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Multilateralism and the rules-based global order are not just for the chosen ones. The same principles must apply to all in equal measure. Everyone has equal rights and proportional obligations. That is how I define the positive multilateralism that Poland stands for — the multilateralism of equal States and free nations, not the multilateralism of usurpation and hierarchy. We are committed to relations in which every State enjoys equal rights. That, however, does not imply a naive perception of a world devoid of differences among States. What it means is that States that have an advantage in terms of potential and power should not deprive others of their equal right to independence and sovereignty. Only when that equality is ensured can we fully use the potential of States for the common good and according to the rule of fair play.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I am referring to the sovereign equality of States, as provided for in Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations. If we want to be advocates of multilateralism — and the United Nations is, after all, its source — we must bear that principle in mind. In other words, not everyone who claims to be a proponent of multilateralism thinks of it in terms of the equality of States. One can say that there is a negative multilateralism, which boils down to the concert of Powers, a division into spheres of influence and the conviction that the fate of others can be decided without their participation. Europe and Poland were often victims of that brand of multilateralism, starting in the eighteenth century, continuing throughout the nineteenth century, and lasting to the times of the Cold War.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I had the privilege of convening a high-level open debate at that time (see S/PV.8262), which concluded that only cooperation among countries within the rules-based global order can provide an opportunity to resolve frozen conflicts and prevent the emergence of new ones, that the rules-based global order requires strong institutions to enforce international law, and that no violation of the law can be justified or distorted through twisted language definitions. Today the map of the world is full of flashpoints. As part of the rules-based global order that we are promoting, I would like to draw attention to one fundamental principle that will be our priority throughout the second year of Poland’s membership of the Security Council.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“It is we who are rightly expected to be courageous, active, able to rise above divisions and determined in our search for solutions to the most pressing issues of the contemporary world. Our world is full of threats. We are witnessing a very dynamic development of the international situation. There are reasons to be hopeful, such as a potential change in the situation on the Korean peninsula and the ongoing de-escalation of tensions there, but there are also problems that persist and remain unresolved. In order to resolve them, we undoubtedly need the cooperation of as many countries as possible today. Two conditions must be met if we are to be effective. First, we must all comply with international law, which was the main theme of the Polish presidency of the Security Council in May.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“The restoration of an independent, free and sovereign State became a reality mainly due to three factors: the desire of the Polish nation to have its own State, the heroic sacrifice of soldiers in battle and the determination of courageous leaders who convinced politicians across the world that, without a restored Poland, Europe would not be just and safe. Both then and today, the will of the nations and of the political leaders remains crucial. Both then and today, Europe cannot be just and safe without a sovereign Poland. Each September, the Heads of State and Government meet here at United Nations Headquarters in New York to engage in an in-depth reflection on the most crucial issues affecting our globe. It is therefore we who have a particular responsibility.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“I congratulate Ms. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, President of the General Assembly at its seventy-third session, on her election to that honourable function. I wish to assure her of Poland’s full support for the measures she will take. At the same time, I wish to express my gratitude to Mr. Miroslav Lajčák for his active leadership of the Assembly at its seventy-second session. This year, Poles celebrate the centenary of regaining their independence. In 1918, after 123 years of bondage, Poland returned to the map of Europe and the world.”
2018-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 73 (2018)
“Only through a sense of shared responsibility, coupled with harmonious engagement and cooperation among all States, will we be able to achieve sustainable development, security and peace, and not only today, but for generations to come.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Poland condemns in the strongest terms every instance of persecution and discrimination based on religion and insists on the importance of States’ commitments to ensuring protection to all members of religious minorities, in the spirit of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The right to live in dignity should also include the right to uphold one’s native traditions and traditional family model, as long as they are compatible with the fundamental rights of individuals. In its campaign for membership of the Security Council, Poland chose the motto “Solidarity, responsibility, engagement”. Those are the values that we are constantly seeking to promote in the international arena.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The Treaty is subject to review every five years in order to take stock of progress towards its realization and reinforce its commitments. Poland has now taken the lead in the preparation process for the upcoming NPT Review Conference in 2020, a testament to our longstanding commitment to non-proliferation, a ban on nuclear tests and the peaceful use of atomic energy. The third pillar of the United Nations system is the protection of human rights, whose foundation is the fundamental right to life. Regrettably, there are too many places in the world that have been stripped of that right, as well as the right to human dignity, personal freedom and freedom of conscience and religion. One particularly visible problem in that regard is the persecution of religious minorities, including Christians.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s development of a nuclear and missile programme, as well as its most recent tests of nuclear weapons, constitutes a flagrant violation of international law and the relevant Security Council resolutions. We hope that the international community will continue its intensified efforts in that regard, including the Council’s recent adoption of new resolutions, and enable us to halt the spiral of tension and stabilize the situation in the region. Poland sets great store by the goals of disarmament and the idea of a world free of nuclear weapons. The only instrument at hand that can genuinely bring us closer to achieving that vision is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“For almost 10 years in Georgia, and almost three in Ukraine, we have witnessed clear violations of the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including the inviolability of borders, respect for sovereignty and rejection of the use of military force in the settlement of disputes. In our view, absolute respect for international law creates a foundation for the stable, predictable and peaceful settlement of differences among States, and through that the assurance of truly sustainable growth. The situation in the Korean peninsula has been marked by flagrant attempts to disrupt the prevailing world order that have contributed to the growing risk of escalation of the situation in the region.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Its regulations are founded on the principles of cooperation and meeting international obligations in good faith, thereby ensuring that international disputes can be resolved through dialogue rather than aggression and armed violence. In dealing with situations in which States use aggression as an instrument of foreign policy, Poland urges the international community to refrain from recognizing the faits accomplis that can result from such policies. We in Poland want to help to build an international order founded on the principles of State sovereignty and territorial integrity. Any attempt to violate those principles, successful or not, weakens mutual trust.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“That is why it is our duty to eliminate the root causes of the refugee problem and restore the right of all people to live in their home countries. Humanitarian operations and development aid must be aimed at achieving the fundamental goal of helping refugees in order ultimately to help them return to their homes. Operations that help to build the resilience of States and societies are particularly important to efforts to deal with issues such as structural poverty, unemployment and lack of access to education. Poland has always considered ensuring the effectiveness of international law to be of prime importance.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“When I visited the headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa earlier this year, I discussed the importance of the international community’s ability to prevent conflicts. Conflicts do not exist without root causes and, by the same token, there are no conflicts that cannot be brought to an end. We should apply that approach first and foremost, though not exclusively, to issues related to mass migration and refugees, which represent problems that many regions and continents share. The continuing internal clashes and risks of terrorist attacks in the Middle East and North Africa, as well as all the challenges that they entail, call for a common response on the part of the whole international community.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Respect for, and the absolute primacy of, international law in relations among States safeguard our effectiveness in ensuring international peace and security. As a non-permanent member of the Security Council, Poland will strive to ensure that all disputes and conflicts are resolved in line with the fundamental principle of peaceful settlement. In that context, we fully agree with the high priority that should be given to mediation and conflict prevention, as advocated by the Secretary-General, and which accords with our belief that preventive measures that target the underlying sources of problems on the ground produce the best, quickest and most tangible results.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Such attempts by third countries to influence the democratic policies pursued by free nations should also be of concern to the international community. Such issues, as well as analysis of current international relations, serve to emphasize that security in the modern world should be viewed from many platforms. It is not just a State’s military strength that determines its citizens’ sense of security, but also areas that often transcend the regular purview of the Security Council’s work. Changes in the natural environment, economic disparities, conflicts fuelled by competition over natural resources, and inadequate health care can also undermine that sense of security, and I believe those issues should feature permanently on the Council’s agenda.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“First and foremost, they include our firm attachment to the inalienable right of every nation to sovereignty and freedom. We are joining the Security Council in the conviction that international law is the only effective mechanism for preserving peaceful relations among nations. Freedom is synonymous with peace, while enslavement is a source of war. Principles such as the freedom of speech and sovereign nation States’ right to self-determination are of particular importance to security. I bring this subject up because last year in particular saw an increase in instances in many States where political processes were manipulated through the imposition of hybrid measures, either by means of propaganda or direct interference in the democratic process.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Poland’s election to the Security Council as a non-permanent member for the period 2018-2019 reflects my country’s growing potential and its involvement in efforts to ensure international peace and security. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for the 190 votes cast for Poland, one of the best results in the history of elections to the Council. For us, the election and its result are both a huge honour and a major obligation. I would like to thank the United Nations community for placing their confidence in us. We view our membership in the Security Council as a commitment to representing all States Members of the United Nations, regardless of their affiliations with regional groups. We see the Security Council as representing values that are particularly important to my nation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Next year, for the third time, Poland will have the honour of hosting the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24). COP 24, to be held in the city of Katowice, will be of key importance, owing to the Conference’s expected adoption of the implementation package for the Paris Agreement. As President of the COP, Poland will do its best to ensure that the summit’s outcome is an ambitious one. We will continue to demonstrate leadership in climate negotiations, in the spirit of the Paris Agreement, while ensuring that all States can participate and that the discussions are transparent, while respecting countries’ varying domestic conditions and their choices along the path to reducing emissions.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“In addition, we should not fail to continue to respect and strengthen international humanitarian law. One of the Goals of the 2030 Agenda is halting the changes occurring in our natural environment, which can be seen in every country and on every continent, and which have are having negative effects on national economies and the living standards of entire communities. For a number of years, Poland has been part of global efforts to protect the environment and combat climate change. We have fulfilled our obligations in that regard, surpassing our reduction targets under the Kyoto Protocol. We have worked in concert with the European Union to make an exceedingly ambitious global contribution to the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and will continue our low- carbon development efforts with the aim of protecting our climate.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“We want to ensure that our actions are as effective as possible, and therefore, using the experience of the Polish authorities and non-governmental organizations, we are working with States that we can support most effectively. We are deeply concerned about the growing number of people who are suffering as a result of protracted conflicts, particularly in Syria and Ukraine. Guided by the principle of solidarity, we have also been consistently increasing our humanitarian aid. In our view, it is also very important to ensure cohesion and complementarity between humanitarian aid and development aid and to work to eliminate the underlying causes of humanitarian crises. That is our shared duty, and the future of the world order and the international community depends upon how we deliver on it.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)
“Domestically, Poland is taking concrete steps to implement its vision for development in the spirit of the 2030 Agenda to ensure that none of its citizens is left behind. The strategy for responsible development that the Polish Government adopted in February is designed to ensure that Poland and its people can maintain a level of development that is sustainable, stable and, most important, responsible, and that will embrace both current and, especially, future generations. In the international arena, Poland supports countries that, among other things, are seeking to develop economically through development cooperation.”
2017-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 72 (2017)