YouSaid · the spoken record

Zuzana Čaputová

lines on the record: 44
first: 2019-09-24
most recent: 2023-09-24
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 politicians are often asked about our legacy. Should this be our legacy? For me the choice is clear, and our response should be clear as well.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“If humankind continues to build alternative truths and we continue to distrust one another, we will never be able to take the action we need to address these universal challenges. In my final words. I would like to leave the Assembly with a message of hope. When I meet with young people in Slovakia. I am left with a feeling of great optimism for the future. Data shows that equality is the most important societal value for them. We should listen to our children and work to achieve a vision of humankind where equality is the rule, not the exception, where development can be sustainable and climate-resilient and where we can live in peace. They are looking to us to take action. The cost of our joint failure is not an abstraction. It will be counted in concrete deaths, displacement, injustice and the loss of species and ecosystems.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Platforms have removed barriers across the globe, linking people as never before, but they have also destroyed barriers that protected others’ rights and integrity. Any technology must be used with one goal in mind — ensuring the dignity and rights of every individual. If these issues are not addressed, social media platforms, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies can act like steroids on our current crises. That is why we cannot postpone their democratic regulation. Facts and science are essential to overcoming our global challenges. The coronavirus disease pandemic illustrated that well. Disinformation is undermining our efforts to build consensus and a common vision.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“only 12 per cent of the Sustainable Development Goals are on track. Those targets are not advisory guidelines. They are benchmarks for creating a world built on fairness, equity and stability. Seventy-five years ago. we adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Human dignity, freedom and justice must be universally protected. That is even more important today, when new technologies promise to unlock huge potential in areas such as public health, connectivity and addressing climate change. However, technological progress sometimes moves faster than human minds and emotions can evolve. The rapid rise of social media platforms and the related flood of disinformation and hate speech prove that.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Slovakia will continue to meet its obligations under the global climate finance commitments. My final point about climate change is simple. But we need to wake up. We are not battling an external threat. This is not a meteor heading for Earth. It is an existential crisis that we ourselves have created, and we alone must solve it. These crises are hitting hardest those who are least responsible for their creation — vulnerable populations, women and children and the world’s poorest peoples. We cannot achieve peace and prosperity if they are excluded. We have been acknowledging that women’s rights are human rights for decades. It is time to turn those words into action. Our collective wealth can enable us to provide dignified conditions for everyone on the planet. But today, halfway to 2030.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Let us turn that ambition into our joint and global commitment. Feasible, effective and low-cost options for mitigation and adaptation are already available. They can speed up our green transition. In Slovakia, we are doing our share. Eighty-five per cent of our electricity is already produced with zero emissions. In the next seven years, we will use 5 per cent of our gross domestic product to decarbonize our economy and increase the use of renewables. In 2030. our emissions will be 55 per cent lower than in 1990. Europe may be warming twice as fast as any other continent, but Africa, while responsible for less than 4 per cent of global emissions, is the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Working together as partners, we can solve that challenge. The green technologic s that already exist must be made available to everyone.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Our cities are becoming warmer, our oceans more acidic and our lands more arid. That is a result of human-caused climate change. This summer gave us another preview of what we can expect if we sit on our hands. In scientific report after report, we see the same conclusion — we are not doing enough. The current pace of our reduction of greenhouse-gas emissions and our mitigation measures is not sufficient to prevent a 1.5°C rise in the global temperature by 2100. Globally, our emissions still exceed the levels we agreed on in the Paris Agreement. We can still prevent the worst-case scenarios. Global emissions must peak before 2030. That is seven years from now. and it is our responsibility, not that of the Governments that will come after us. If we are to see results seven years from now. we must all act today.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Last year we recorded more conflict-related deaths in the world than in any year since 1994. Russia’s illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, an immediate neighbour of Slovakia, has greatly contributed to that rise. For more than 570 days. Russia’s forces have been killing innocent Ukrainian civilians, kidnapping children and destroying towns and cities. They have bombed infrastructure and ports that export Ukraine’s grain to people who need it in Bangladesh and Egypt. That is why Moscow must let that grain leave Ukrainian ports. We do indeed need a New Agenda for Peace, as the Secretary-General rightly said, but first and foremost we need action for peace from Russia, a permanent member of the Security Council. The Climate Ambition Summit starts today. But when it comes to our planet, the time for action is running out.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“In the General Assembly and other global forums we hear many words spoken about the challenges we face, from the growing intensity of armed conflicts to the devastating effects of climate change. We discuss the task of providing for a growing global population with limited resources and overexploited ecosystems. We debate the opportunities of emerging technologies that can transform our lives but can also trigger the destruction of our democratic way of life. Those challenges have one common denominator. They are human-made, and it therefore falls to us to deliver human-made solutions. The time for talking, discussion and promises is over. The Assembly must start by working for the ultimate purpose for which the United Nations was founded — the restoration of peace.”
2023-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 78 (2023)
“Sure, we can delay and compromise. But again, history teaches us that passivity and ignorance never solve crises; they only delay the moment of reckoning. And since obeying even the smallest of rules matters, let me finish here to respect the agreed time limit.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Time has not been very favourable to the ideas that built and sustain the Organization. The peace we should safeguard is fraying. The international cooperation we should foster has not prevented a climate catastrophe. And the spirit of shared global commons that the United Nations embodies is under attack from extremists, their voice multiplied by new technologies. Half measures are not enough to cope with those challenges. We have tried that before. It is time for action and for clarity. We, the Members of the United Nations, need to clearly side with victim over aggressor. We must choose the international rules-based order over the power of the gun. We must urgently deliver on our climate goals and find working rules for social media platforms to protect the fabric of our societies and the international order.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Online space should be guided by the same democratic rules that apply offline. We welcome United Nations initiatives for rules for State behaviour in cyberspace. The efforts towards a so-called Digital Geneva Convention are justified and needed. The crises I mention have a disproportionate impact on women and girls. That plays out in higher rates of gender-based and domestic violence, greater economic insecurity and poverty or worse access to education and health care. However, I am not here to portray women as victims. I am here to call on all of them to step up their engagement in public affairs. Women are agents of change. The world has a collective responsibility to support them because we are already seeing the consequences of a world that is run without taking their unique and diverse experience into proper account.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“But there is a third crisis of relativization of values, facts and expertise, as well as a decrease of trust in democratic institutions. We are facing an epidemic of lies, propaganda and disinformation. It is hardly new, but thanks to the rise of social media, it is more powerful. If algorithms favour hatred over truth or nonsense over science, and if they appeal to our instincts rather than the greater good, what hope is there for global understanding or for the sort of cooperation that the United Nations was created to advance? Democracies are tolerant by default, but they die if they start tolerating intolerance. Along with the rest of the European Union, Slovakia leads the way for an effective and democratic regulation of major social platforms and online media.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Despite the current energy crisis, Slovakia will stop using coal as a source of energy next year. We are investing in renewables and launching a retrofitting programme for buildings to boost energy efficiency because the cheapest energy is the one you do not use. We can only do this together, globally and in solidarity with each other. We need all big economies to join and help those who need it. At this year’s COP27, we will need a significant increase of funds for lower- and middle-income countries. Many of them contribute very little to our planet’s heating but suffer the most from its consequences. As the world community, we have put short-term comfort over lasting solutions when it comes to two crises: that of international peace and order, and that of our climate.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“How much more scorched Earth, how many millions more climate refugees, how many flood victims will it take to convince us that ignoring our commitments is no longer an option? We are desperately behind in cutting our emissions. Worse, we hear voices arguing that the climate crisis must wait because of increasing energy prices. That would be a grave mistake. Yes, the price increases are painful, and we must help those who risk losing access to energy, but we must not lose sight of the bigger picture. We are talking about the rising prices of commodities that we must phase out anyway to stop the planet’s warming. Rather than bring back subsidies for coal or gas, we must transition away from them. Renewable energy is less dependent on those who are trying to use gas or oil as an energy weapon. And it is cheaper.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We have imposed sanctions on Russia and are supporting Ukraine, including through military aid, because Ukraine’s fight is just and defensive, and in line with international law. I invite all Member States to join. We should all help Ukraine politically, militarily and financially because that is the only way we can restore peace. The war in Ukraine is not the only crisis exposing the gap between the rules and commitments we have agreed on and their practical realization. In November, we will hold the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt. But our actions lag dangerously behind our words. Our greenhouse gas emissions are not falling fast enough.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“Our response to those actions was incomplete. Concerns about our own comfort weakened our resolve. The tepid sanctions we imposed failed to discourage Russia from trying again. Our weakness encouraged more aggression. We must not repeat the same mistake again. The flouting of rules is poisoning global security, and it must not be allowed to stand. More than 50 countries, including all members of the European Union, have already imposed tough sanctions on Russia. Slovakia is Ukraine’s direct neighbour. Our own security is impacted by this war. We are neither the biggest nor the richest country in the world. We have long been dependent on Russia’s energy supplies. But we chose the protection of our fundamental rights.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“We welcome the deal mediated by Secretary- General Guterres and Tiirkiye and we call on Russia to fully unblock all Ukraine’s ports. Otherwise, the world will continue to suffer. The democratic world and all of us must be a voice for Ukraine — the voice that will not be silent and that will continue to testify about Russia’s crimes in Ukraine. We must be the voice that will remember and that will act so that no one is ever allowed to commit such atrocities again. Vladimir Putin hoped to conquer Ukraine and scare the rest of us. In that goal he has failed, as Ukraine’s recent successes on the battlefield demonstrate. We will rebuild peace. To do so, we must learn from our past mistakes. This is not the first time we have seen aggression in Europe. Russia has occupied parts of Georgia since 2008 and parts of Ukraine since 2014.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The wrongs of Russia’s aggression could not be clearer. One hundred forty-one countries deplored Moscow’s war against Ukraine in General Assembly resolution ES-11/1. No veto in the Security Council can change the fundamental truth that today, rather than protecting global peace, Russia is doing everything to undo it. Moscow’s aggression has inflicted harm on the entire world. Thousands of innocent Ukrainian civilians have been killed. Millions have had to leave their homes, triggering one of the largest refugee crises in Europe’s history. Fifty million people are on the brink of starvation in Africa and Asia. Russia’s blockage of Ukraine’s ports and confiscation of its harvest have made the already grave global food crisis even worse.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The Organization has a clear purpose, as spelled out in Article 1 of the Charter of the United Nations, to maintain international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among nations, and to achieve international cooperation. Today, most Member States would probably agree that we are still far from achieving that goal. But that does not mean we should not try. Each and every Member of the United Nations has a responsibility to protect peace. In this, the permanent members of the Security Council have a special duty. Instead, today we see one of the five permanent members openly denying the right of another United Nations Member, Ukraine, to exist as an independent State. Those who break the rules themselves have no authority to set rules for others through the power of veto.”
2022-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 77 (2022)
“The silent pandemic of gender-based violence can prove lethal to the health of our societies. Our long-term strategies, however brilliant, will become short-lived history if we do not involve young people. To conclude, let me recall the words Pope Francis addressed to our youth during his recent visit to Slovakia: “Do not be dismayed or yield to those who tell you that nothing will ever change.” We can change the world around us for the better. Let us start now. Thank you.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Distinguished Assembly, The developments and lessons learnt from Afghanistan will be high on our agenda, and rightly so. This reflection is necessary. But we must also urgently provide humanitarian assistance to the people in Afghanistan, 40 per cent of whom are facing acute food insecurity. Over the past two decades, girls and women in Afghanistan could exercise their legitimate rights. These must not be taken away. Together with the Prime Minister of Iceland, the Prime Minister of New Zealand, and other women political leaders we launched a call to support Afghan girls and women. I invite you to join forces to ensure this turns into concrete steps. My final point is about inclusiveness. We cannot save our planet if we leave out the vulnerable — the women, the girls, the minorities.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Violation of these rules endangers everyone, not only those directly affected in Ukraine, Syria, Myanmar or the Sahel region. It is the UN Security Council’s main responsibility to maintain international peace and security. Too often, we see it unable to act. Stopping violence and providing humanitarian access is not something to bargain about — it must be our utmost priority. We must make our own democracies more resilient and support those demanding their basic rights — including the freedom of speech or assembly — are respected. These rights are not a menu for governments to choose from. Citizens must exercise them freely: in Belarus where 650 people are prosecuted on political grounds, such as the social scientist Valeria Kostyugova — or in the occupied Crimea, or Venezuela, Russia or Xinjiang.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“We must decouple economic growth from the degradation we have been causing to the planet — and support those most affected, those forced out of their homes by floods or drought, or those losing jobs as we close down the most polluting factories. The Green Climate Fund must be properly funded and accessible. At the Kunming summit, we must all play our part to protect biodiversity. In Slovakia, half of the national parks’ territory will be free of human intervention by 2025. In 10 years, this will be three-quarters of our national parks. Excellencies, Unless we stop global warming, future generations will suffer. Our failure will damage multilateralism and spur violence. Saving our planet, therefore also means upholding a rules-based international order and the rule of law, at home and abroad.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Slovakia will reduce our emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and become climate neutral by 2050, along with the rest of the European Union. By 2023, coal will no longer be used to produce electricity and heat. In the coming years, we will spend almost 6 per cent of our GDP on economic recovery: one-third of that will go into our green transition. None of this will be easy. Per capita, Slovakia is the biggest car producer in the world. Clean mobility, locally developed and produced greener batteries will decarbonize transport in Slovakia and elsewhere. We are ready to share our solutions — and learn from the best.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Previously, the Earth was whispering but now she is screaming that she cannot hold us any longer, that humankind is too heavy a burden to carry. Saving the planet is not a promise we make today for our successors to implement it later. We have hesitated for so long that we have run out of generations of political leaders who can talk the talk but do nothing. This task is upon us today. Saving our planet means accelerating our response to the climate crisis. The findings of the recent IPCC report might be shocking. Yet, they are just stating facts. In less than six months, we were able to strike a deal on global fair taxation. We must equally strike a deal to prevent global carbon leakage. The upcoming COP-26 in Glasgow must set the pace for a much swifter adaptation and radical emissions cuts.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Fifty countries have less than a 5 per cent vaccination rate, with half of them just a 1 per cent rate. This is a failure of politics projected onto the world stage in real-time. Vaccine egoism will only delay the pandemic’s end and lend time to new more lethal mutations. Solidarity should be our binding principle, not an option. Vaccines must be accessible to all and Slovakia will continue supporting the COVAX effort. Even as we get close to defeating COVID-19, let us not rush into business as usual, just because we can. Our memory of how things were must be complemented by our reflection on whether they were right. Secretary-General Guterres rightly said that we have our common agenda. Slovakia fully subscribes to the priorities laid out in this report. Simply put, our common task is saving our planet.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Dear Mr. President of the General Assembly, Dear Mr. Secretary-General, Dear colleagues, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, That at least, some of you can meet in person after two complicated pandemic years fills me with some optimism. Optimism that science can and does offer solutions — and that if we respect scientific recommendations, we will overcome the challenges ahead. Indeed, we are in a much better place than a year ago. Vaccines offer a clear path out of the pandemic — but where the scientists have succeeded — in sequencing the virus or producing safe vaccines — the politics are still failing. A year ago, we made promises and pooled resources. More than 5 billion vaccine doses have been administered across the world — but nearly 75 per cent of them are in just ten countries.”
2021-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 76 (2021)
“Let us renew this commitment among us, and even take it further — along the mentioned principles of solidarity, responsibility and trust, and with the same resolve to act as we have shown during the current pandemic. Then, we can change any threat — be it COVID-19 or climate change — into an opportunity for the benefit of all. Thank you.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“We have been able to organize ourselves and create over 20 parallel teams worldwide to develop anti-COVID vaccine, because we lacked the so much needed knowledge. In climate change, we all know what to do. We just need to show a genuine will and act together, as one. To make it a real priority. And to let the science, innovations, but also solidarity and compassion lead the way. Ladies and Gentlemen, Let's make this lesson from COVID-19 the basis for our action in the future. Just like 75 years ago, the lesson of two world wars led to the universal commitment among nations to solve their disputes peacefully and to work together.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“The spread of authoritarian disease is a threat to all of us. Ladies and Gentlemen, There is one more remarkable lesson from COVID-19. We often hear that certain changes are impossible, or that it takes years to make them. This time, it was different. It is the experience of how much and how quickly we can achieve if only we are willing to realise the common threat, change our behaviour and work together in order to prevent it. If we did it vis-a-vis COVID-19, we can do it also when it comes to other global threats, as well. Most notably the climate change, which is undoubtedly the greatest threat to our common future. Experts estimate, that by 2100 the climate change will be five times as deadly as COVID-19.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“If we are to attack them, we undermine our own ability to solve problems collectively. And we make our societies more vulnerable, including to disinformation and hoaxes, which have proven to be especially dangerous when they are related to health issues. That is why we must not allow any crisis to become an excuse for suppressing human rights and liberties. We must make sure that any limitations must be proportionate, time-limited and legally sound. And these principles must be applied universally. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Too often we see situations in the world, when people are intimidated, beaten or even threatened on their lives. Just as we recently saw in Belarus, or in the case of Alexei Navalnyj, and in many other cases. And only because they stood up for their rights.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Because the opposite — incompetence, disinformation or populism — has fatal consequences. Responsible leadership also means willingness to seethe common global interest. To preserve the best of existing architecture of international organizations and regimes of cooperation. Because these are often the drivers of effective solutions. I know that their work is not always perfect. But instead of resenting or defunding them, we need to find ways of how to improve them. And finally, the TRUST. The confidence of citizens in what their governments are doing is right. People need to know that they are protected and are not lied to. The guardians of these principles must be the free and independent media, renowned experts and scientists, and active civil society. And our responsibility is to create an environment where they can work freely.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“In concrete terms: we must not allow the development and production of vaccine and medical supplies to become yet another global competition. Because these are essential, life-saving commodities. And as such, their provision should be a sign of humanity, not a matter of economic profit. That is why we need to share information and foster partnerships among scientists, manufacturers and governments. And to provide to vaccine to anyone on this planet, regardless, whether they can afford it or not. If we are to be successful in averting any crisis, we need RESPONSIBLE LEADERSHIP. Because ultimately it is the responsibility of governments and political leaders to make decisions that are based on facts and knowledge, and not on political calculations or selfish interests of those in power.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“And those with limited access to education have lost their hope for better future. Even stable and developed states faced great economic and social difficulties. One of the most important lessons that we learned during the first months of COVID-19 is that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things if they are led by SOLIDARITY and compassion. People around the world understood that responsible behaviour can save lives, even if it meant limitation of their own comfort. That they need to take their share of responsibility in protecting themselves and the others. I would even dare to say that this pandemic crisis brought the best out of us. It is our responsibility as leaders to apply the same among nations. That's why we need true globalization of compassion.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. Secretary General, Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen, Our unusual gathering today proves that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic changed the world as we know it. But this online form is an evidence we can adapt and act. 75 years ago, this organization was built on a simple idea that the benefits of cooperation always prevail over selfishness and conflict. Today, we need this idea to become a reality more urgently than ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has quickly become a truly global threat. And it is far from over. But we already learned a lesson: We cannot go back to business as usual. The COVID crisis exposed our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Those already on the brink of poverty have been left poor. Those with difficult access to health care have found themselves helpless.”
2020-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 75 (2020)
“I believe that if we succeed in uniting over our action for climate, we can generate a new sense of solidarity in other areas. That can become a basis to overcome divisions among nations and bring new opportunities. Our citizens are already moving in that direction. We have the primary responsibility. We must lead. Let us use this opportunity to become the generation that laid the foundations for cooperation that is based on the common sense of our shared destiny.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“Green energy is becoming increasingly competitive. Private companies and investors are starting to realize that investment in the green economy can be profitable and economically rational because, instead of undermining economic growth, climate action generates new opportunities for businesses and new jobs for our people. We must make sure that, in the end, everyone can benefit from climate action, especially the most vulnerable, who bear the burden, but also those affected by the transformation, because the bottom line of development is primarily about the dignity of every human being. We know what we need to do. We have been discussing it for years. We have all the knowledge and means. The time has come to no longer accept the excuses. I would suggest being bold and going even further.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“If we manage to combine our knowledge and our means with leadership, it will bring about a change of policy. To that end, we need to fulfil what we have already agreed on. The Paris Agreement is central to keeping us on the right track. But its commitments are still far from met, and we need to go far beyond that. We need a rapid and profound change in how we do business, generate power, manage transport and make investments. We also need to change our lifestyle. This year we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. It seems that our young people understand the urgency better than us. What kind of future are we preparing for our children? We are in debt to this planet and to our children and we need to pay that debt back. The good news is that technological development is on our side.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“For many years, it was politically unthinkable to close old and inefficient coal mines in our country. Instead, we had to subsidize the mining industry to keep it alive. But, finally, we found the courage to make that difficult decision. I am very proud that yesterday, at the Climate Action Summit 2019, I could present a credible plan to close the coal mines and transform the entire coal-mining region. In addition, Slovakia is firmly committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Each country can contribute with its fair share. We have no time and no excuse to wait for the others because they are bigger or richer. That is why I highly appreciate the initiative of the Secretary-General, and I thank him for his leadership and personal engagement in convening yesterday’s summit.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“The scientific evidence is clear: climate change is a fact, and we are running out of time. But if we act now, we can reduce carbon emissions within 12 years and keep global warming at 1.5°C. If we can succeed at the local level, thanks to activists and non-governmental organizations, and if we have successful green companies, why can we not do the same at the global level? As if the fear of business that it will lose its competitive edge and profits or the fear of Governments losing popular support was greater than all rational arguments. To overcome such fears, we need to change our mindset that the green economy is costly and not profitable and learn that, in the long term, it is far less costly and far more efficient. I can provide one concrete example.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“We are going to face difficult times. More than ever, we need responsible Governments that will draw their legitimacy from the trust of their people, refrain from populism and keep their own ego under control. We need Governments that will give our people hope that there is still justice and that it is worth playing by the rules because our future rests on our ability to repair broken trust. More and more often we hear leaders speaking about putting their national interests before the global good. Yet the best way to be patriotic actually lies not in national egoism but in cooperation. In that regard, I see climate change as the key issue. If I had to name just one thing that concerns me the most at the global level, it is denial — denial that the climate crisis exists or that it is not that serious.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“That is why it is important to remind ourselves that if one country takes away territory from another, that must be called occupation and not mistaken for peacemaking. Suppressing the human rights of minorities must not be confused with fighting against extremism. Spreading hate or false propaganda cannot be called freedom of speech; and using chemical weapons against innocent citizens cannot be justified as fighting against terrorism. These and many other examples are the reason for having a strong United Nations as a guardian of rules and of our trust. Secondly, we have serious difficulties in agreeing on new rules. Often, we cannot agree at all. That applies to new areas that have emerged as a result of our successes and progress. Those mostly concern climate change but also new technologies, cybernetics or artificial intelligence.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)
“All the achievements of the United Nations have one thing in common — respect for rules and principles. As much as we need those principles today, we also need trust and responsibility. And the best way to build trust is to respect the rules and to live and act by them, because we can then predict how we behave and be prepared when the unexpected happens. For me, mutual trust is the invisible silver lining that holds our societies together. Today I see two major challenges in that regard. First, we do not respect the rules and principles. As a lawyer and a long-term activist in the field of justice, I cannot ignore the fact that many of these rules and principles are under immense pressure, including through dangerous efforts to twist or break them.”
2019-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 74 (2019)