Estonia

It is an honour once again to address the United Nations. This year I would like to focus on responsibility. The recent years of economic and financial turbulence have demonstrated a strong correlation between economic prudence and responsibility in fiscal matters. We have realized, I hope, that sustainability is not a term we apply only to development, but concerns all of us. Responsibility and sustainability apply to the three broad topics I shall address today: human rights, good governance and development. But before doing so, I would like to speak about diplomacy. The purpose of diplomacy is to prevent war. When diplomats are attacked we are all less secure. We know what we are talking about — we too have had our diplomats attacked, mercifully without the horrific consequences that occured in Benghazi. Therefore, the recent assaults in many parts of the world on diplomats, embassies and consular premises are deplorable. Regardless of their motivations, such acts are unjustifiable and must be universally and unequivocably condemned. All countries must fulfil their international legal obligation to protect diplomatic and consular properties and personnel. As recent events have demonstrated, when it comes to human rights it is not enough merely to keep your own house in order. As a conscientious member of the international community, Estonia feels the responsibility to do more globally. That includes paying attention to human rights violations in places torn by conflict, as well as doing more to stop and prevent the violation of the rights of women and the child. It also means making the most of new technologies in the service of fundamental rights and freedoms. The need to take responsibility and do more is also why Estonia looks forward to becoming a member of the Human Rights Council and to working proactively towards the fulfilment of its mandate. Permit me to touch upon the developments in Syria. We have witnessed the complete breakdown of any semblance of the rule of law. We continue to see extensive human rights and international humanitarian law abuses. It appears that both sides have committed serious international crimes. Yet we still see no solution. We cannot look on and wait for the violence to spread even more widely. The Security Council — especially its permanent members — must overcome their differences and find a solution to the bloodshed. The least that all parties must do is to allow for humanitarian aid to be safely delivered and to guarantee the security of humanitarian workers. Without an end to the armed conflict, without peace, there can be no political process. But it is not only Syria that needs our attention. We should not avoid the problem of protracted conflicts that have already waited for years to be solved. We shall speak with one voice against continuing violations of the territorial integrity of sovereign States and for the secure return of all forcefully displaced persons. Moreover, more attention to conflict prevention would help to avoid such violations in the future. A stronger commitment to conflict prevention and to the enhancement of the rule of law can help to avoid violent conflicts and the most heinous international crimes. Under the principle of the responsibility to protect, States committed in 2005 to protect their people from ethnic cleansing, genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Today the content of the responsibility to protect is not debated. The difficulty, however, lies with its application: when Governments do not live up to their responsibility, the international community must react and act. The international criminal justice system, especially the International Criminal Court, plays a crucial role in providing timely and decisive responses to such crimes. Investigations by the Court may deter further atrocities, prevent their escalation or accelerate their end. It is therefore essential to cooperate with the Court and apprehend those it has indicted. As a result of the evolving nature of military conflicts, civilian casualties tragically are on the rise. Among civilians, women and children are the most vulnerable. When we take that into account, Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), on women, peace and security, takes on a whole new immediacy. Furthermore, conflict-related sexual violence requires more attention. Such violence can easily lead to further war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moreover, in advancing the rights of the child, the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to convict Thomas Lubanga Dyilo was a significant achievement and will, we hope, have a strong deterrent effect in the future to prevent crimes against children. The Crimean War, in the 1850s, brought the world the first extensive photographic reports of conflicts. Today, new media make it even more difficult to hide war crimes both on and off the battlefield. Modern technology brings home the reality and horror of war. We must therefore recognize the important role of technology in advancing human rights. Freedom of expression is a human right, whether in the city square, the press or in cyberspace. For the third year in a row, Freedom House has ranked Estonia first in the world in Internet freedom. We have joined the coalition Freedom Online, a group of States working closely together to advance human rights online. In addition, Estonia looks forward to discussing actively matters relating to Internet freedom in the Human Rights Council, which adopted a resolution on that topic this year (resolution 20/8). The resolution was a genuine milestone affirming that fundamental rights in the virtual world must be protected with the same commitment as in the real world. Internationally, there are worrisome developments related to Internet governance. Too many countries speak about the dangers of a free Internet from a security perspective. The truth is, as we know well, that cybersecurity is needed to prevent oppressive Governments and criminals from wreaking havoc. It is not to prevent peaceful individuals from speaking their minds or gathering information and exchanging ideas. Despite having experienced extensive cyber attacks during the so-called Web War One, five years ago, Estonia does not support more rigid regulation and censorship in cyberspace. Estonia is committed to an open, secure and reliable Internet. It is therefore imperative to ensure that the International Telecommunication Union’s new regulation does not lead to the restriction of Internet freedom and unnecessary limits to the free f low of ideas and information. In fighting cybercrimes, the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime provides the appropriate and primary legal framework at the global level. Globally, there is a deficit of good and responsible governance. Its lack is the root cause of countless other ills. But again, some progress has been made. I was proud to represent Estonia when I signed on to the Open Government Partnership, along with representatives of 42 other countries. That multilateral initiative aims to take concrete steps to institute a new model of governance to maximize the potential of new technologies and, most important, to tackle corruption. The information revolution we experience these days has assisted Estonia to successfully and rapidly transform itself into a rule-of-law-based democratic society. Estonia was the first country where people could cast their vote online in parliamentary and municipal elections. Just a few months ago we conducted our census for the first time to a large extent online. This year more than 90 per cent of taxpayers in Estonia filed annual income tax returns via the Internet. E-government, e-school, e-medical prescriptions and e-parking are examples of Estonian innovation in the field of citizen-friendly public services. They increase transparency and help to prevent and cut down corruption. They reduce costs. Most importantly, however, they have increased the possibility to exercise fundamental rights and freedoms and improve inclusive and responsible governance. Therefore, Estonia wishes to share its e-governance skills and to continue to facilitate exchanges with partners worldwide. My comments on the need to do more apply to the United Nations too. Without reform, its global mission will be unsustainable. We need change, ranging from reforming the United Nations in the broadest sense to cutting the waste of paper. In an information age it is increasingly necessary to distinguish noise from signal, to distinguish genuine data from spin. I have spoken thus far about what Governments can and must do. In our increasingly interconnected, wired and wireless world, civil society and the private sector play an ever-greater role. Governments benefit from involving non-governmental organizations, entrepreneurs and private individuals in governance. Estonia and many other countries increasingly and successfully do so. The challenge, however, is for the United Nations system — a multilateral organization based on modern, post-Westphalian States — to embrace those other actors and to involve them in finding solutions and decision-making. Allow me to continue by sharing some thoughts related to development and responsibility. Sustainable development is not a clichéd utopia; nor is it something forced on us from above. True development can be nothing other than sustainable. Yet we have seen unsustainability masked as development, despite the contradiction in terms. Consider the global financial crisis. Burdening our children and grandchildren with mountains of debt is immoral, as is living at the expense of others. Growth without responsibility is illusory. We have learned that the hard way. Let us not make the same mistake again. We are another year closer to the deadline we set ourselves for achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Were they too ambitious? I do not think so. Aiming high is the least we can do. There is no point in setting targets that we can be confident of achieving effortlessly. Yet we must resist the temptation to sell everything as a success if that is not the case. Failure to achieve all the MDGs is no excuse not to set new targets. The world needs sustainable development goals. We are still in a preliminary phase of the discussion. Let us aim high and do our best. Despite the world’s best efforts, millions remain in poverty. The information technology (IT) transformation will create massive opportunities all over the world. We must, however, avoid a digital divide that would stymie this historic chance to accelerate development in all parts of the world. I was a member of Kofi Annan’s high-level panel of experts on information and communication technology — already a decade ago — and I continue to be concerned about the gap between the digital haves and have-nots, especially because, by investing in IT, countries such as mine have leapt into modernity and transparency. New information and communications technologies have the potential to trigger the next industrial revolution, but governments cannot achieve it alone. Entrepreneurs expanding the range of global knowledge networks are key partners in fighting poverty and creating a more transparent economy. They can also make an outsized difference in their communities and the world. However, Governments must provide a secure and fruitful environment for those sorts of ideas to emerge and prosper. Twentyone years after restoring our independence, Estonia is an example where a combination of responsible free enterprise, e-governance, international partnerships and eco-friendly policies can put a country in the fast lane of development. Experience shows that if we fail to act responsibly, we will, in the end, be forced to do so. Let us begin by acting responsibly.