YouSaid · the spoken record

Danilo Turk

lines on the record
27
first
2009-09-24
most recent
2011-09-24
sittings or episodes
2
sources
un-general-debate

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  1. “And fairness is a 11-50847 18 commodity, a principle, a value, that the international community needs most of all.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  2. “We have also proposed a set of ideas for reform of the Security Council. We hope that the coming year will see more resolute steps in that regard, and that more progress will be made than there has been so far. The United Nations is an important hope — a hope for the world — and an opportunity for its Member States to bring the reality, complicated and onerous as it may be, closer to our hopes. It is in this spirit that Slovenia has presented its candidature for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. We hope for broad support. If we are elected we shall be a faithful United Nations Member State, aware of the responsibilities of the Security Council and all its members towards the entire Organization and all Member States. We pledge our efforts, our judgement and our sense of fairness as a contribution to the United Nations.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  3. “It is a crisis of human existence and human rights. All actors of the international community, including my country, Slovenia, are already trying to help. But more help is needed; humanitarian assistance must expand. I have briefly referred to some of Slovenia’s areas of particular importance, particular engagement and particular activity. Our commitment to the United Nations is strong and will remain strong. The United Nations is an Organization of all and for all. For almost 20 years now Slovenia has been working as a devoted Member State. We have made proposals for specific action and enjoyed working with all other Member States — large and small, geographically close and geographically distant. We have worked together on specific proposals and decisions and on implementation.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  4. “It is gratifying to see that today human rights are increasingly being included in official school curriculums. But there is still much more that we need to do to incorporate human rights learning into societies as a lifelong process. The United Nations, its Human Rights Council and the General Assembly will, I am convinced, continue to make a significant contribution. I would like to express satisfaction over the adoption of the draft declaration on human rights education and training by the Human Rights Council during its March session this year. I call on all States to support this important declaration, which I am convinced the General Assembly will adopt — hopefully, unanimously — later this autumn. Human rights concerns are most tragic in the case of humanitarian disasters. The current famine in the Horn of Africa is a sad example.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  5. “Another priority in the field of human rights that Slovenia values highly relates to the rights of the child and to human rights education. This year, as President of the Executive Board of UNICEF, Slovenia worked tirelessly to attain universal ratification of both optional protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The objective should be to ensure, through United Nations instruments and national action, effective protection of the rights of the child and to improve the wellbeing of children in all parts of the world. An important segment of this work relates to human rights education, which helps to empower young people in their efforts to secure their rightful place in society. I remember when Slovenia and Costa Rica launched a human rights education campaign in the Third Committee almost 20 years ago.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  6. “Moreover, specific development tasks have provided further evidence of the importance of this link. The role of women in development is a pertinent example. Experience and research by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, for example, have shown that empowerment of women in agriculture can reduce hunger by 30 per cent — a very impressive result by any measure. Gender equality and the empowerment of women are essential to promoting peace, security and above all development. Slovenia strongly supports the work of UN-Women, which will help to significantly boost United Nations efforts to promote gender equality, expand opportunities and tackle discrimination against women around the globe.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  7. “The Istanbul Programme of Action offers concrete solutions for improving progress in the least developed countries. In times of economic crisis in the donor countries, which seems to continue unabated, increasing aid proves difficult to attain. Improving aid effectiveness is crucial. 17 11-50847 There can be no gain in the field of development if other policies, such as trade, agriculture, migration, climate change and so on, cancel out the positive effects of development policies. In this regard, let me convey our hopes for the successful deliberations of the High-level Forum to be held in Busan later this year. Recent experience in the exercise of development activities has strengthened understanding of the links between development and human rights. The concept of the right to development is gaining in substance and recognition.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  8. “The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, to be held next year, will be an opportunity to secure renewed political commitment to sustainable development, to assess the progress of implementation of agreed commitments, and to address new and emerging challenges. We should strengthen our efforts to develop a new concept of development that will capture economic growth, social development and environmental protection. It is our duty to make a difference, and making a difference requires a more comprehensive definition of development. Maintaining our focus on the successful implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, we should pay particular attention to the special needs of Africa, especially those countries most in need.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  9. “But they have to be considered against the background of other priorities, both long-term and short-term. The Organization has developed its engagements in the most important and the most difficult issues of environment and sustainable development. We need to take resolute steps towards a new and effective system to mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure the necessary adaptation. We hope that the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to be held in Durban later this year, will bring us a step closer to final agreement. The negative impacts of climate change are disproportionate. We should pay particular attention to the unique challenges faced by the small island developing States, whose characteristics make them among the most vulnerable in the world to climate change.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  10. “This has established a much needed link between the United Nations and the people of Libya in their effort to build legitimate, democratic and effective institutions and to pursue the path of economic, social and political development, in accordance with the wishes of the people. Yesterday, at a special High-level Meeting we discussed the forms of assistance in some detail. Today we can say that there is a fair chance of success for effective cooperation between the people of Libya and the United Nations as well as the regional organizations — in particular, the African Union and the Arab League. Together we shall be better able to assist. Slovenia is willing to continue to do its part in this framework. Political and security concerns are always an important priority for the United Nations.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  11. “Those two aims are genuinely linked, and the latter should be understood as supporting the former. Our common Organization, the United Nations, is committed to its inclusive character and the universality of its membership. This is the spirit in which we see some of the significant developments of this year. We welcome the Republic of South Sudan as the newest Member of the United Nations. Our Organization should render every assistance to the new Member in its efforts to establish its structures and to serve the wellbeing of its people. We also welcome the decision of the General Assembly to grant the seat of Libya to the representatives of the National Transitional Council of Libya.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  12. “Slovenia welcomes the President’s decision to put the theme of mediation at the centre of our deliberations at this session. Indeed, no other theme seems more timely at this moment of search for an approach towards a peaceful resolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. The European Union, to which Slovenia belongs, is currently fully engaged with high- profile mediation in this context. The mediation under way has two aims. The first is the revival of the peace process with a view to finding an early solution — a genuine and fair peace agreement involving two States, Israel and Palestine, which would live side by side in peace and security. Secondly, an immediate task relevant to the United Nations is to find an adequate status for Palestine within the ranks of our common, global Organization.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  13. “I start by congratulating Mr. Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the General Assembly at its current session, on his election, and express our belief that with his wisdom and experience he will guide the Assembly well. I also express our sincere gratitude to the outgoing President, Mr. Joseph Deiss, for his important contribution to the work of the General Assembly and the United Nations. Obviously, I wish to pay special tribute to the Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, and to thank him for the vision and dedication with which he works for 11-50847 16 the United Nations and for his tireless efforts to promote the spirit of the Charter. We deeply appreciate his leadership and wish him continued success in his second term in office as he guides the United Nations in these challenging times.”

    2011-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 66 (2011)

  14. “The assistance of the Security Council and the General Assembly will be valuable in that regard. Let me conclude by saying something very obvious. The agenda of the United Nations today is heavy, but that is not news. The United Nations has always been the forum for addressing the world’s most intractable problems. At the same time, however, the United Nations has always represented hope and promise to the world. Let us live up to that hope and that promise. Let us make this the era of the United Nations and the Organization’s finest hour.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  15. “Let me emphasize the role of the United Nations in that context. Sometimes, matters such as the situation in and around Afghanistan are discussed at specialized international conferences, but wisdom and common sense suggest that the experience of the United Nations be put to use. Let us not forget the unique success of the United Nations, of the United Nations-led 2001 Bonn Conference and of the subsequent Constitutional Loya Jirga. The time has come for a broad look at the entire experience since that period, an assessment of what exactly went wrong and why, a sober assessment of the current situation, and the careful definition of further steps that will make international political, economic and administrative assistance more effective and the international military presence no longer needed.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  16. “Fourthly, the United Nations will continue to be an indispensable forum for political consultation and policy advice. The experience of the United Nations is irreplaceable. The situation in Afghanistan can be cited as a case in point. For three decades now, the United Nations has been seized with a variety of problems affecting Afghanistan, a Member State. No one should doubt that Afghanistan belongs to the Afghans or that the Afghanization of security is the only real path towards security in the country. There can be no military solution to the country’s variety of problems. It is becoming ever more apparent that the international community will have to assist in an Afghan process of transition that will decrease and eventually phase out the international military presence in the country.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  17. “Member States must give careful consideration to the report and to such concepts as expanding the peacekeeping partnership, the purpose of which is to strengthen the operational capacity and political sophistication of United Nations peacekeeping. Let us not overlook the fact that progress in peacekeeping would strengthen all other United Nations activities linked to the maintenance of international peace and security, including preventive diplomacy and post-conflict peacebuilding. The third area which needs to be addressed is disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, where we have come up against far too many stumbling blocks in the past. United Nations action needs to be energized now, and the forthcoming review 11 09-52425 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons has to be a step forward.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  18. “Exactly a year ago from this rostrum, I suggested a specific model for Security Council expansion. It was one of many proposals that were made. Now the time is right for that and other proposals to be put on the table and to be addressed head on. In addition to structural change, such as Security Council reform, we need to strengthen the United Nations practical role in the maintenance of international peace and security. I welcome the thinking expressed in the report of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations entitled “A New Partnership Agenda: Charting a New Horizon for United Nations Peacekeeping”, published in July this year. The report highlights many of the most pressing and subtle needs for improvement.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  19. “Continued engagement of the General Assembly on this subject has proved to be necessary, and I hope that this discussion will yield results. Issues of environment, development and human rights represent today the bulk of the current United Nations agenda, but it is in the area of the maintenance of international peace and security that some of the most urgent thinking and action are necessary. Four areas of work are of special importance. The reform of the Security Council is long overdue and progress made at the sixty-third session of the General Assembly is insufficient. However, negotiations so far have generated a positive momentum. It is apparent that the expansion of the Security Council in the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership has gained broad support among United Nations Member States.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  20. “The progress achieved so far in developing new methods of work in the Council is encouraging, albeit not yet sufficient. We welcome the election of the United States to the Council and believe that only an inclusive forum for human rights can be an effective forum for human rights. Members of the Human Rights Council must realize that they bear a special responsibility to lead. But there are problems which exceed the potential of the Human Rights Council itself. The failures to protect human beings from mass atrocities and from gross and systematic violations of human rights should not be repeated. We still have not found the right tools to respond in a timely and effective manner to such situations. I therefore welcome the debate on the responsibility to protect that took place in the General Assembly in July this year.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  21. “Policymakers need to ensure that economic policies and human rights policies alike are coordinated and that mechanisms are put into place at the national and international levels. Slovenia was one of the first Member States to sign today the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The Protocol will give individuals an additional and potentially significant implementation mechanism. This is a small step, but one which demonstrates our awareness of the problem and our commitment to action. We are also looking to the Human Rights Council as the main body of the United Nations to devise strategies for human rights. Slovenia has been an active member of the Council and we remain optimistic.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  22. “Issues of global development represent a large part of the agenda of the current session of the General Assembly. However, we must also think about the fate of human rights in current global circumstances. Human rights and development are closely connected. The current recession has already increased global levels of poverty. Unemployment is growing. The faith of many young people is becoming ever more uncertain. All these are serious challenges to global social stability and may turn into the serious security concerns of tomorrow if left unattended. I welcome the efforts of the International Labour Organization and the Global Jobs Pact adopted in June. Today, there is no challenge to human rights more pervasive, more strategic and more pressing than the challenge of poverty and unemployment.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  23. “Results of that Conference should be further elaborated. Specific priority tasks for global development must soon be defined. These days, many expectations are linked to the G-20 summit meeting in Pittsburgh. Much needs to be done to bring greater discipline and responsibility to the global financial system. This is an important and immediate priority. Moreover, it is necessary to increase resources and to adjust the Bretton Woods institutions with a view to the proper maintenance of global financial stability and of development financing. The restarting of global trade negotiations has become an urgent priority. But even more is needed, including the improvement of official development assistance, with a 09-52425 10 particular priority on development in Africa.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  24. “Now the world needs a comprehensive strategy in order to fulfil this task. Such a strategy needs to address all the main challenges of our time in a consistent manner. The food crisis, climate change, the energy crisis, the spreading of infectious diseases and other problems may have different roots, but they produce a single, communicative effect. They hobble global development and make the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals only a distant possibility. Therefore, clear responses are called for. And what is the role of the United Nations in this context? Some of the answers have already been provided. They are enshrined, inter alia, in the Outcome of the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development, which was held in New York in June.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  25. “Today, we understand that each of the Member States of the United Nations must do its share and that, together as united nations, we can save the planet. Let the Copenhagen Conference be the turning point. We also need to broaden the front and fully include civil society and the business sector in broad action for this needed technological and social transformation. Action starting now to mitigate the consequences of climate change will have to lead to profound societal change — a change in the way we produce, the way we consume and the way we live. Let us not be afraid of these changes. These changes may not amount to a revolution, of which President Chávez Frías of Venezuela spoke, but they will have to be real and, if guided in a wise and timely manner, they can improve our common future.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  26. “At the same time, I would not wish to miss the opportunity to thank the President of the General Assembly at its sixty-third session, Mr. Miguel d’Escoto Brockmann, who guided this Assembly with great determination and an ethical commitment to fairness and justice. I also wish to pay tribute to our Secretary- General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his guidance in these trying times. In the past few days, many of us were engaged in an effort, spearheaded by the Secretary-General, to generate the necessary political will to seal the deal in Copenhagen. We all appreciate this example of international leadership. Humankind must take resolute steps towards a new and effective system to mitigate the effects of global warming and to ensure our necessary adaptation. Our responsibilities are common and differentiated.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)

  27. “Yesterday and today we have heard many inspiring words. We heard powerful words, words of hope. A few moments ago we heard words about salvation. Although most of us would not agree that salvation is around the corner, at the same time I believe all of us will agree that improvement is possible and that the reason we are here is to make that improvement a reality. But in order to do that, we must do what the peoples of the world legitimately expect from us as representatives of United Nations Member States: to make this institution, the United Nations, effective and to work for it with a sense of common purpose, truly as united nations. I express full confidence in your experience and wisdom, Mr. President, congratulate you on your election and wish you every success in your work for the improvement of humankind’s situation.”

    2009-09-24 · UN General Assembly · General Debate, Session 64 (2009)