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Last year at this rostrum, I noted that Suriname is diversity. And at a time when diversity is too often manipulated as a source of division, Suriname has chosen the path to recognize the distinct histories of its people, while strengthening their unity and their shared responsibility for the future. Our experience affirms that diversity, when grounded in equality, mutual respect, and meaningful participation, is not an adversity. It is a source of national resilience and prosperity. Last month, the Republic of Suriname observed its first heritage month under the theme "Hoe wij hier ook samen kwamen, hoe wij samen verder gaan", meaning as much as "However we came here, united we move forward". This initiative was conceived not merely to celebrate our culture and the diversity in it, but as a deliberate national undertaking centered on growing inclusion, mutual respect, and unity. And this process is also relevant for the global community. Mr. president, the development of Suriname's offshore natural resources, including oil and gas, will present significant, significant opportunities to accelerate national development and improve the well-being of our people. Yet, we are equally conscious that oil and gas cannot and should not become the only foundation of our economy. Our approach is therefore clear. We must transform temporary resource wealth into lasting national prosperity, using resource revenues strategically to strengthen our economy and make it more resilient through diversification. Additionally, we will need to improve our energy security. And although we are preparing for gas to shore and gas to energy, renewable energy will be part of our national energy mix.
Mr. President, Secretary General, excellencies, distinguished delegates, I bring to you greetings from Papua New Guinea. A nation of extraordinary diversity with more than 800 languages and cultures, but united under one flag.
Mr. President. I would like to also express my deep gratitude for the inscription during the most recent session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan of six medinas of the historic Comorian Sultanates on UNESCO's World Heritage List. This historic recognition is the fruit of 20 years of work and it honours our nation. I would like to express our gratitude to all of the partners who helped us technically and financially, and ultimately made this possible. Furthermore, in one year's time the Union of the Comoros will host, for the first time in its history, the Indian Ocean Islands Games. This major youth sporting event promotes cohesion and personal development in a world far too often marked by division and rejection of diversity. On behalf of the Comorian people, I would like to thank all of the countries and partners whose support has helped make this national and regional undertaking possible.
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South Africa09/24 · first at about 1 min2 mentions
We call it Heritage Day. It is a day upon which we recommit to not just a united, but also a diverse nation. A day where we reassert that diversity is not a cause for division, but for celebration. Our strength is in our diversity.
It opens extraordinary opportunities for scientific progress, medicine, education, and the fight against climate change. Yet it also compels us to ask a question that no previous generation has had to face with such urgency: how can we ensure that technological progress remains human progress? This is the debate that truly lies before us. It is not a debate about machines; it is a debate about ourselves. We must ensure that artificial intelligence expands opportunities rather than inequalities, that it protects human rights rather than putting them at risk, that it strengthens our democracies rather than weakening them, and that it preserves the cultural and linguistic diversity that is one of humanity's most valuable heritages. For a country such as Andorra, this last aspect is particularly relevant. The digital revolution must not lead to cultural homogenization that condemns languages with fewer speakers to invisibility. That is why we advocate for a global digital governance that fully incorporates respect for multilingualism, cultural diversity, and equal access to knowledge.
For our part, Sri Lanka is on track towards achieving 70% renewable energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2050. Mr. President, for three decades, Sri Lanka suffered a protracted conflict that caused enormous loss and suffering to all our communities. Although the guns fell silent 17 years ago, the deep wounds of that conflict remain, and much remains to be done to heal them. We are determined to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy and to pursue a path towards national unity and reconciliation. In this regard, our government is strengthening national institutions to address outstanding issues. Throughout these two years, we have remained firm in our rejection of racism and religious extremism in all its forms and manifestations. We will continue to work tirelessly to build a nation that is more secure, inclusive and united, a nation made stronger by the full richness of its diversity. Mr. President in addition to the consequences of natural calamity, Sri Lanka, like many other countries, is experiencing the severe impact of conflicts in West Asia and elsewhere. As an island nation situated at the crossroads of the Indian Ocean and as a country with a large number of migrant workers in West Asia, these developments have direct security, economic and social implications for us. I am pleased to note that even during these challenging times, Sri Lanka has continued to uphold its commitments to international law and ensure sanctity of human life and human dignity. Mr. President, in March this year, amidst a highly volatile geopolitical landscape, Sri Lanka found a ship of a party to a conflict in distress close to our territorial waters, with many sailors life in peril.
That is why Bolivia is fighting to overcome this crisis and be able to produce and export. We want investment, employment, technology. We want resources. We want to integrate into the world. We want to do that while also preserving something that no economic growth can replace. And that is its people, its territory, and its extraordinary biological diversity. Ladies and gentlemen Bolivia has one specific feature which is also perhaps an opportunity. We are a country with a small population but with vast diversity. The Andes, the Altiplano, the Amazon. We make up 60% of the water that the Amazon receives comes from Bolivia, one of the greatest cultural wealths of the continent and the world, and not just from one culture. Many cultures within a single nation. And we have strategic natural resources, which could be important for the energy and technological transition for the world. Each of the cell phones, the mobile phones that you have here in the room today 10% of the tin that is in those cell phones comes from Bolivian tin. We have the capacity to provide the world with the resources that it needs to be able to develop a better world. Bolivia does not want to repeat the history of countries that exported their natural resources for decades and remained poor. We do not simply want to extract minerals from the earth so that other countries can add value to them. The ideology, and this is very important. I spoke earlier about organized crime and the mafia in Bolivia.
Excellencies, 20 years ago, shortly after peacefully restoring our independence, Montenegro took its seat in this very Assembly as a full member of the United Nations. And this year therefore holds a very special significance for us. We celebrate 20 years of our UN membership as a sovereign nation. A child born in Montenegro that year is now 20 years old. A generation has come of age, witnessing Montenegro's transformation from a newly independent state into a country helping shape the Balkans, defined not by the conflicts of the past, but by the opportunities of the future. On the geostrategic front, Montenegro has paved the path toward our future in the European Union, which is now within our reach. Our goal is very clear: by 2028, to see Montenegro's flag stand among the member states of the European Union. In 2017, Montenegro joined NATO, strengthening not only our own security but also contributing to the stability of our entire region. We have kept good relations with our neighbors and demonstrated that a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multi-cultural society can turn diversity into confidence, belonging, and a common purpose. At home, we have transformed our economy and strengthened the democratic institutions on which lasting prosperity depends. Much work remains ahead of us, but the foundations have been laid for a society in which talent and effort open doors, and a country where young people can imagine their future at home.
Our nations represent a rich tapestry of cultures, languages and political systems. But diversity need not breed division. Guided by our policy of friend to all, an enemy to none, Seychelles believes that our differences can be the dynamic foundation for stronger global cooperation. Let us restore trust through deliberate action by upholding the rule of international law unconditionally by reforming our global governance institutions to reflect today's world, by delivering equitable climate and development finance, and by protecting our shared oceans and climate. Seychelles enters this General Assembly with deep humility, clear conviction and an unshakable belief in the multilateral system. We may be a small nation, but our voice, our sovereignty, and our aspirations will never be measured by our size on a map. Let this 81st session be remembered not for the divisions we inherited, but for the courage, solidarity, and resolve with which we overcame them. Let us restore trust. Let us manage transformation, and together let us build a United Nations that truly delivers for every nation and every human being.
Mr. president, Cambodia is pleased and honored to host in Phnom Penh on the 15th and 16th of November next, the 20th summit of La Francophonie. Nearly 30 years after the historic Hanoi summit, this new gathering of the French speaking community in Asia carries particular significance. It demonstrates the vitality of a Francophonie that transcends borders, continents, and cultural differences. The theme of the summit reinvesting in peace for Shared and Sustainable Prosperity, together with that of this year's session, reflects a common imperative. Restoring trust and reinvesting in peace reinforce one another. Beyond celebrating the French language Cambodia wishes to make this summit a moment of bringing together peoples from all continents around shared values peace, respect for diversity, dialogue among cultures, solidarity, mutual understanding and cooperation. The presence of heads of state and government will give this summit its full political and symbolic significance, and will make Phnom Penh a major venue for dialogue among nations. The Kingdom of the Angkor temples looks forward to welcoming everyone with the hospitality for which it is known. Mr. president, we cannot restore the world of yesterday, nor should that be our ambition.
Third, we should advance exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations and rebuild unity and mutual trust through communication and dialogue. Diversity has created splendor in the world. Condescension and the self-centered mindset have no place in the interactions among different cultures. Promoting mutual trust, mutual respect, solidarity, and harmonious coexistence is the right approach to take. We need to use the UN platform to boost international people to people exchanges, and take the celebration of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations as an occasion to promote mutual understanding and amity among all peoples and the common development of diverse civilizations.
We already have knowledge. But what we need now is the will to use them. This year, the United Nations will choose its next Secretary-General. Slovakia supports a transparent and inclusive process based on merit, with due regard to regional diversity and gender balance. And I would also like to thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his dedicated service and leadership during these difficult years. The next Secretary-General will inherit an organization under serious security, geopolitical, institutional, and financial pressure. But the future of the United Nations will not depend on one person alone. It depends on all of us, on our will, courage, and determination.
Mr. president, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, we are here today at a unique moment in the history of our organization. At a time when the UN is discussing crucial reforms and multilateralism is at a crossroads, the topic of this 81st session, restoring trust, managing transformation is a very relevant topic. It summarizes the expectations of member states and the peoples of the world in all of their diversity vis a vis the UN. Each year we adopt new resolutions and we reaffirm our commitments. Each year, we renew our faith in multilateralism. Nonetheless, conflicts persist. People are still awaiting justice. Will generations still grow up with fighting as their backdrop? Mr. president, excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. Security Council reform illustrates alone this situation and this crisis of confidence. For decades now, positions have been well known. Calls for reform have stacked up and consultations have multiplied. But progress still remains insufficient. Chad reiterates to this end, its complete support for the common African position, as stipulated in the Ezzelini consensus and the Sirte declaration, and taken up in the African model for reform of the Security Council, presented in April by Sierra Leone on behalf of the Committee of ten of the African Union. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Chad considers that those difficulties facing multilateralism stem in part from the cynicism of the most powerful and from double standards policies. My country remains committed to multilateralism that is based on the UN charter, the sovereign equality of states, the respect for their independence, cooperation and international solidarity.
As the United Nations enters its ninth decade of existence, we have a collective duty to demonstrate that multilateralism remains the best response to the challenges of our time. We must choose dialogue over confrontation, cooperation over isolation, and solidarity over indifference. We must restore trust among nations, ensure that the rule of law prevails over the use of force, place human beings at the heart of our decisions and make our diversity a source of strength, rather than a cause for division. Only then will the United Nations continue to embody the hopes of peoples and fulfill the promises that led to its creation. Cote d'Ivoire, true to its values and firmly committed to peace, dialogue and multilateralism, will continue with humility but with determination to contribute to this collective endeavour, because we believe that the destiny of humanity remains profoundly shared. Finally, it is incumbent upon us to ensure that the United Nations remains for present and future generations, a true crucible of human dignity and the guarantor of a better world. I thank you. On behalf of the General Assembly.
Mr. president, as we speak of transforming our multilateral system, we must also ensure that its leadership reflects the diversity, experience and aspirations of the people it serves. Grenada, therefore, proudly joins our CARICOM family in giving our unequivocal support to the candidacy of Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett of Guyana for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations. CARICOM heads of government have endorsed her as the region's candidate, recognising the experience and leadership she brings to this important moment for global multilateralism. Her distinguished service as Guyana's Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations has demonstrated a deep commitment to diplomacy, dialogue and international cooperation. The Caribbean has long demonstrated that size does not determine the strength of our ideas, the quality of our leadership, or the values of our contribution to the international community. We believe Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett is eminently qualified to serve the entire United Nations membership. Her election would represent a historic milestone for Caribbean region and a powerful affirmation that every region, including small island developing states, can contribute to leadership at the highest levels of our multilateral system. Mr. president, we meet at a time of significant global transformation. The challenges before us are complex, but they also present an opportunity to renew our commitment to cooperation and create practical solutions that improve the lives of our people. The theme of this session Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all, challenges us to move beyond declaration towards delivery. For Grenada, restoring trust means demonstrating through actions that international cooperation produces results. It means listening to one another. It means respecting the voices of small states as much as those of large ones. It means building genuine partnership, and it means ensuring that every country has the opportunity to pursue its legitimate development aspirations. Grenada approaches this General Assembly in a spirit of partnership, optimism and constructive engagement. We remain firmly committed to the purposes and principles of the charter of the United Nations, international law, peaceful dialogue and the peaceful settlement of dispute.
It starts at home. And Indonesia has long understood this for decades. In the 1960s, Indonesia developed the concept of national resilience to safeguard our identity, to protect our sovereignty and unity, and to sustain our development in the face of challenges and obstacles. At the heart of our resilience are our people. A nation is resilient when families can provide for their households, when farmers can produce, when workers can find decent jobs, and when children can learn, grow and dream about their future. For Indonesia, this means building greater self-sufficiency in food and strengthening our energy security. Most importantly, it also means investing in the future of our people, ensuring our children receive quality education and ensuring our people have access to essential health care. At the same time, we are building an economy that can withstand shocks and create opportunities more jobs, stronger industries, and greater productive capacity. Central to our resilience is our ability to manage differences and preserve our unity. As a nation of more than 280 million people, Indonesia has learned that diversity is not something to overcome. It is something to manage, respect and turn into strength through democratic participation, dialogue, and respect for differences. We preserve our unity from Aceh to Papua, from Miangas to Rote. Indonesia is one people. Indonesia is one nation. We also continue to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights through our national mechanisms and our commitment to international human rights obligations. This goes hand in hand with building our national resilience, because human rights are not only the absence of violence. They are also about ensuring that people have food, education and healthcare. To our neighbors, friends and partners, let there be no doubt Indonesia stands strong today, grounded firmly in democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. And when nations are resilient at home, they have greater capacity to contribute beyond their borders. A food secure Indonesia can contribute more to regional and global food security. A more energy resilient Indonesia can contribute more to the global energy transition. A stronger economy opens greater opportunities for cooperation and shared prosperity. This is how national resilience becomes collective resilience.
We seek to make them a true driving force of the future economy. Through education, the diversification of employment opportunities, support for entrepreneurship, and the advancement of digital economy. At the same time, we remain committed in accordance with the Constitution to protecting human rights and freedoms, promoting women's participation ensuring child welfare, and preserving the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of our country. Ladies and gentlemen. We confidently call upon you to engage more openly with Iraq. As it is a genuine partner capable of contributing to the promotion of security, the strengthening of stability and the acceleration of development across all sectors. Today, we say Iraq has never been on the margins. Rather, it is the heart of history beating in the modern world.
This is the first Olympic event in history to be held in Africa. It will be held from the 31st of October to the 13th of November. It will welcome athletes from 206 National Olympic Committees. It will welcome young people from across the world. And in doing just that, Senegal will do much more than host a sporting competition. It will host a promise. We will host a generation that wish to come together rather than stand apart, one that wishes to build together rather than pit themselves against each other. That is our promise to those young people, and it is the Olympic promise. And ultimately that is the promise of the United Nations that is making strength out of our differences, making wealth out of our diversity, and making our human community the very bedrock of peace. In that Olympic spirit, I invite all Member states to attend the opening ceremony of the Youth Games on the 31st of October 2026 in Dakar, and I thank you for your kind attention.
This is where regional cooperation has a vital role. The United Nations must remain the centrepiece of the multilateral system, but we cannot expect it to do everything. It cannot settle problems when member states are not willing to act. Regional institutions can help turn that willingness into cooperation. They bring countries together around shared challenges and translate global principles suited to local realities. In this way, regionalism becomes a building block of effective multilateralism. ASEAN has demonstrated this for almost six decades. It has grown from 5 to 11 member states. We do not always agree, but we have learned to manage differences and preserve space for cooperation. For my country, Thailand, that practical cooperation means serving as a trusted platform. We want to leverage our strengths as a logistical hub and manufacturing base to connect markets and supply chains across our region. Our conviction is that together, we should combine Asia's diversity for co-creation, bringing together the different strengths of our countries to promote shared prosperity. The same thinking should also extend beyond Asia. Thailand continues to pursue free trade agreements with partners across region, and to expand trade and opportunities for both sides. Additionally, our Thailand Africa initiative seeks to deepen political, economic and development cooperation to build partnerships of equals across our regions. Mr. President, excellencies.
The balanced and balancing foreign policy adopted by Armenia stems from the logic of multipolarity, which is one of the key principles of the United Nations. In recent years we have established strategic relations with Georgia, France, China, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania, the United States of America, and the European Union. Today, by the way, the European Commission approved the decision to adopt autonomous trade measures for Armenia, which is yet another manifestation of the new quality of Armenia-EU relations. Our relations with Russia are in a transformation phase, and this is a natural process because throughout the entire preceding period, the largest factor influencing relations between Armenia and Russia was the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict. Now that we have established peace with Azerbaijan, Armenia-Russia relations will naturally change and it is our desire that these relations develop on the basis of the principles of friendship and mutual respect. We will, of course, continue to develop our relations with partners located closer to or farther from Armenia. And in this regard, I would like to highlight the countries of Central Asia with which our relations are also highly dynamic. But I also cannot but emphasize that the normalization and deepening of relations with our neighbors are nevertheless of key importance for our foreign policy vision. I have already spoken about the dynamics of our relations with Azerbaijan. We have a high-level dialogue with Turkey, and I want to confirm the words expressed by President Erdogan from this podium the other day, that we are resolutely pushing forward the process of normalizing Armenia-Turkey relations. Our relations with our two other neighbors, the Islamic Republic of Iran and Georgia, remain of exceptional importance to us, and our good neighborliness continues to develop and deepen. The Republic of Armenia considers its contribution to the region's stability and development to be our key task in international peace, stability and development. Honorable President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. This October, Armenia will host the 17th conference of the parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, the COP17.
Azerbaijan's own experience reflects these principles. Our society is inherently multicultural and multi-confessional, shaped by centuries of peaceful co-existence of diverse ethnic, cultural and religious communities. This tradition is reflected in Azerbaijan's international initiatives, including the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue. Launched in 2008 in the framework of the Baku Process, the forum has evolved into a prominent global platform for advancing intercultural dialogue and cultural diversity receiving international recognition, including through a series of United Nations General Assembly resolutions. Building upon these values under the leadership of the president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has taken important steps to strengthen international solidarity, to build bridges and to mobilize collective responses.
Too often these movements target groups whose rights supposedly matter less. Women, LGBTQI+ people, minorities, migrants, people who look different, love differently, or live differently. These are not abstract groups. They are our daughters. They are our sons, our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues. I am deeply concerned by the growing backlash against gender equality and LGBTQI+ rights, including within my own region, Europe. We hear that equality has gone too far, that diversity has gone too far, that some people demanding the freedom simply to be themselves somehow threaten the freedom of others. I reject that completely. Human rights are not a zero sum game. Giving a woman equal rights does not take away rights from a man. Allowing an LGBTQI+ person to live freely does not make anyone else less free. Quite the opposite. We should be very careful when governments begin telling us that some people's existence threatens society. History has taught us where that can lead. And let me be clear Iceland will not allow others to define our values or dictate the language we use to defend human rights. Free societies are strongest when people are allowed to be themselves, but freedom that belongs only to people who fit someone else's definition of normal is not freedom. A society that strips people of their dignity will eventually undermine its own democracy. And nowhere is the backlash more extreme than in Afghanistan, where women and girls have been systematically erased from public life. Girls are denied education. Women are denied basic freedoms. For me, this can only be described as gender apartheid. On the Human Rights Council, Iceland, we have sought to match words with deeds from Iran and Afghanistan to accountability for violations in Sudan. Throughout our council term, Iceland will emphasize gender equality, LGBTQI+ rights, the rights of children and young people, and the relationship between human rights and the environment. Human rights are not for some, as we know they are for all.
This principle, I'd like to remind you, means not trying to further the security of one state at the expense of the security of others. Also, no country, nor any groups of countries should try to dominate the security sphere. This applies first and foremost to NATO, which is trying to broaden its destructive influence far beyond its geographical realm, for instance, in Asia. The values of broad based cooperation on an equal footing formed the foundation of President Putin's initiative on the establishment of a Greater Eurasian Partnership and an architecture of security on the entire Eurasian continent. Yesterday, here in New York, Russia, Belarus and like minded countries adopted a declaration on our intent to develop a Eurasian Charter of Diversity and Multipolarity for the 21st century. We call on all of those who wish to be part of this pan continental architecture of peace and development, to contribute to making this initiative a success which aims to complement and harmonize work on existing mechanisms in the spirit of the geopolitical realities in this nascent multipolar world. I thank you.
We come from a country that is diverse in its opinions, but one that is deeply committed to the possibility of building a common future. And we believe that this combination diversity of ideas and cohesion around the future can also serve as our contribution to the international community. Today, we are living through a particularly difficult period. Extreme inequality remains one of the great threats to coexistence. Poverty continues to deprive millions of people of basic opportunities, and wars continue to destroy lives, communities, and hopes. While we discuss growth, technology, artificial intelligence, the energy transition, or new forms of production, there are millions of people who continue to ask themselves far more basic questions how will I feed my children? How can I find housing? How can I find a job? Or how can I face tomorrow without fear? We mustn't lose sight of that reality. Development makes sense when it improves people's lives. Economies make sense when they serve society. Technology makes sense when it expands our freedoms and opportunities. And politics makes sense when it is able to transform reality, to bring happiness to our people. We are speaking from the experience of a small country removed from the great centers of power.
We've proven our ability to serve as a reliable platform for negotiations, and we're ready to continue doing everything possible to achieve peace in Ukraine as soon as possible. But let's be frank, any lasting peace in that country is not possible without addressing the root causes, which have been ignored for years. These include plans to bring Ukraine into NATO contrary to all security realities, the failure to implement the Minsk agreements, which were the only legitimate path to peace. And let me remind you that the implementation of these agreements was sabotaged in order to buy time and allow Ukraine to rearm. And that has been acknowledged by Western politicians very recently. The endless supply of weapons to Ukraine will only lead to the destruction of Ukraine itself and its people. We call for the prompt beginning of genuine negotiations that will lead to a lasting peace. Third, the Eurasian security architecture. This is our particular priority ensuring Eurasian security. Since 2023, we have successfully been holding an international conference on this in our capital, where experts from across Eurasia discuss ways to solve our continent's problems. We are successfully promoting the idea of drafting a Eurasian Charter on Diversity and Multipolarity in the 21st century. This initiative is part of an effort to create a new architecture of equal and indivisible security on our vast continent, stretching from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Finally, our openness to dialogue. We are ready to cooperate with all interested countries. We also are leaving the door open to those Western politicians who are genuinely ready for a dialogue of equals.
Mr. president, as we work to correct the imbalances inherited from the last century, we must not allow them to be reproduced in the future. Artificial intelligence opens boundless horizons for growth, knowledge, innovation and improved services. Yet it may also create a vast new divide and power linked to computing capacity, data models skills and financing. Therefore managing this transformation requires the establishment of governance frameworks for artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on the basis that technology is a global public benefit and not an exclusive privilege enjoyed by a limited number of states or corporations. Egypt supports the role of the United Nations and a global dialogue to develop principles that balance innovation and responsibility, protect privacy, guarantee transparency, accountability, non-discrimination, human oversight, respect for international law, technology and knowledge transfer, financing of digital infrastructure and skills development. This would enable developing countries to become producers and developers of technology, rather than merely being markets for its consumption. Artificial intelligence should also reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of the world Arab and African languages and communities should receive fair representation and data and models. Egypt has launched the second edition of its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2025 2030, grounded in its firm conviction that the safe and responsible use of technology and the development of national capacities are inseparable requirements. The same principle governs the green transition. There can be no just transition if ambition is dissociated from fair implementation.
Today, however, these ideas are not only being called into question; they are being attacked by political actors and governments that want to take us back to a dark past. And I don't need to point them out; we all know who they are and what their modus operandi is. They start by questioning the rules, then they break them, knowing full well that nobody will dare to hold them accountable. They cut their contributions to multilateral bodies like this one. They point to their leaders and officials. They obstruct these organizations' ability to act, to then write them off as useless entities that we can do without. What they're doing, nevertheless, is a planned and coordinated demolition attempt that is presented as something that we can't stop and that's necessary. However, the reality is that it runs counter to the structural currents of history and is based on three misguided pillars. The first of these pillars is selfishness, the absurd belief that the world is a zero-sum game, where some winning must imply that others losing. The second pillar is ignorance, disregarding scientific evidence and assuming that there are countries that are so powerful that they can abuse all of the others and they don't need anyone else to prosper. And the third pillar, the worst in my opinion, is cruelty. Cruelty that isn't even moved when it sees the ribs of a starving child or a hospital reduced to rubble. Over these 8 years, I've seen these selfish, ignorant, and cruel forces grow. I've seen how they took off their masks and seized power in many places. And then I saw them start illegal wars, massacre innocent civilians. I've seen them treat millions of human beings like livestock and take away aid from those suffering the most, from poverty and disease. I've seen them pollute the atmosphere and also the ocean as if it's their own property, and conspire to destroy this organization and everything it represents. I'm saying this because bearing witness to these things has changed the way that I understand the world. However, it hasn't led me to lose hope. Because also, over these 8 years, I've seen wonderful things that allow me to still have confidence in humanity. For example, I've seen millions of people mobilized to defend nature, peace, and civil rights. I've seen thousands of activists and public servants confront these reactionary powers, knowing full well that they're putting their professional careers and even their own lives at risk. I've seen scientists make progress that we thought was impossible. And I've seen many governments do things right, opting for cooperation, social justice, and environmental sustainability. All of this has taught me something that I want to share with all of you, and that is that humanity is not intrinsically good or bad. Humanity can actually be both. And every day, every year, and in each and every crisis, we must decide how to act. The United Nations is one of these spaces where these decisions are made at the highest level. And the UN doesn't always do it well. Of course, I myself, on several occasions, have called out the contradictions and lackings of this body. However, with the same belief, I must call out the fact that the majority of the voices that today insist on criticizing the United Nations are not describing its failure; what they're doing is trying to cause its failure. And I must also say that multilateralism is the best tool that humanity has to manage its diversity and its interdependence, especially in a globalized and multipolar world like the world we're living in today. And this is why what we need to do is ramp up our trust in this organization. We must renew it and strengthen it so that this century it can play the same key role that it played last century. And doing this will not be easy. However, the good news is that all of the guidance we need is right here, in the United Nations Charter. In this charter, they wrote the best chapters. Our forefathers wrote it, the men and women who saw the world burn, and even then, they dared to imagine a better future. These men and women laid down their wisdom and their hope in this charter. And they didn't ask us to keep it in a glass case. They asked us to fulfill it. They asked us to defend it, and for us to turn back to it in times of uncertainty and extraordinary difficulty. And today is one of those times. And therefore, it's our duty to rise to the courage and the ambition present in this text, in the United Nations Charter. And this is why, ladies and gentlemen, we need to reform the Security Council so that all of the regions in the world have fair representation, and so that we can do away with the right of veto of the permanent members. Because as the UN Charter sets out, no country should be judged in its own case, no matter how powerful they are. We therefore need to strengthen all of the other main bodies and reorganize the agencies, funds and programs, and provide them with more resources and more executive capacity so that they can have a more decisive impact on the great challenges that beset humanity. We must strengthen bodies like the International Criminal Court so that they can investigate, prosecute, and punish those that break the rules. It took humanity centuries to replace might is right with the rule of law. And we must not be the generation that backtracks on this. It's for this very reason that we must rebuild the nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament architecture to avoid a poorly designed security policy that brings us back to another global conflict. And we must impose strict regulations on the tech oligarchs who control the functioning of social networks and the development of artificial intelligence. Because at the end of the day, the future of our children is more important than the pockets of these tech oligarchs. And of course, doing all of these things will require compromise, time, strong leadership, being able to build agreements, to listen, to look beyond our known reality, and imagine a better alternative. And what I'm advocating for, for this leadership, is very clear. Nine men have served as Secretary-General of this organization in its 80 years of existence.
When peoples can see the United Nations as a common home, a shared home, rather than an organization held hostage to the dominance of power politics. Our responsibility today is not to leave to our children a legacy of a world that is burdened with our crises. Rather, what we owe them is to leave them a world that is better than the one that we have inherited. Let us move together forward, not because the path is an easy one, but because the alternative to cooperation is for each of us to face the storms of this era alone, isolated and powerless. Let us make the restoration of trust a process rather than a slogan. Let us make multilateralism a reality rather than simply a principle. Let us make the United Nations in this pivotal moment a space where diplomacy regains its place, where confidence in institutions is restored, and where respect for international law becomes a shared commitment rather than a matter of convenience, subject to whims. Let us work together for a world where the application of law is not a privilege in which peace is not merely the temporary absence of war, and in which development is not reserved for those who came first, but rather a shared right of all peoples, with all their diversity and for all generations to come. This is our responsibility towards our peoples, and this is the trust that we must deliver to future generations.
We need to embark on reforms that strengthen delivery, protects universal character of the organisation, and enable developing countries to participate meaningfully in decisions that shape their future. Mr. president, the General Assembly's decision to move towards a convention on the prevention and punishment of crimes against humanity is an important contribution to addressing a long standing gap in the international legal framework. The Gambia is proud of its leading role alongside Mexico, in advancing this process through more than three years of patient negotiations. Our conviction is simple the gravest crimes cannot be met with silence. Victims cannot be forgotten. Impunity cannot become an accepted feature of international relations. Prevention, accountability and justice are indispensable to reconciliation, healing and sustainable peace. The rule of law is one of the foundations upon which trust is built. The continued development of multilateral treaties, and the entry into force of the agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction also demonstrate what is possible when states negotiate in good faith and persevere. The Gambia commends Ghana for its historic resolution on declaration of trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity and Togo for the resolution on correcting the map at the General Assembly. Mr. president our credibility is ultimately tested by how we respond to conflicts and crises that remain unresolved for years.
A state that respects the diversity and multicultural character of its society, a state confident enough to defend its own identity without denying the identity of the others. A state that knows its history but is not imprisoned by it, and a state that does not expect others to build it in its place. That, to me, is modern sovereignty. Not isolation. Capability. This year Secretary General Antonio Guterres reminded us that the Charter begins with the words: We, the peoples.
