I am especially honoured and privileged to be addressing this gathering for the first time on behalf of the Republic of North Macedonia. The very fact that most leaders are here in person today, rather than addressing the Assembly via video messages, is testament to the fact that the beginning of the end of the pandemic is in sight.
For nearly two years, there is almost no country that has not been severely affected by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Faced with an unprecedented plight, humankind came together and mobilized all of its capacity to mitigate the consequences of the pandemic and prepare for a post-COVID era. Despite the disparities that have surfaced once again between the most developed countries and all the rest, we have witnessed a great series of exemplary cases of solidarity and humaneness all around the world. Although there is still a long way to go, we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel and refocus on the future. We therefore need to support new ideas and initiatives such as the Group of Seven’s Build Back Better World, an infrastructure partnership aimed at assisting the developing world, which has been severely affected by COVID-19.
Like every other terrible scourge in human history, the pandemic is a lesson that must be learned. It is a fact that most of the challenges confronting humankind, not just COVID-19, do not stop at national borders or differentiate among countries, religions or ideologies. We can only deal with global challenges, whether in the areas of security, disease or climate change, by exercising more empathy, cooperation and solidarity. The reality today is that our world is far from being a safe place to live in. Conflicts around the world, whether fresh or frozen, terrorism or hybrid threats, continue to disturb our peace and ways of life. They continue to threaten human rights and freedoms, provoking humanitarian catastrophes and waves of refugees.
We are particularly worried about the latest developments in Afghanistan. We share the concerns of many leaders, including the Secretary-General, who has warned that the world is facing yet another humanitarian plight and called for helping hands, united efforts and solidarity. Guided by our sense of moral obligation as well as solidarity, my country, North Macedonia, immediately announced its readiness to host a considerable number of Afghan refugees, particularly those in the most vulnerable categories and those who have worked for United Nations agencies in Afghanistan for many years. Hundreds of them have already received safe haven, in addition to the conditions for a dignified life. A baby was born in the local hospital immediately after the first plane carrying Afghan refugees landed at Skopje airport, a symbolic spark of hope and proof that life does indeed prevail. We stand ready to contribute to the international community’s efforts to ensure a better life for the people affected by the military chaos and destruction. The new developments in Afghanistan have only accentuated
the existing threats of terrorism and violent extremism. We must continue to work together and address the root causes of terrorism with a multidimensional approach. We should reinforce our efforts nationally, regionally and under the United Nations umbrella in the quest for solutions and mechanisms to fight that evil.
Multilateralism, with the United Nations as its core and universal embodiment, should be the driving force strengthening the instruments and methods for assuring security, democracy, freedom, human rights, sustainable development and prosperity for all. We must reinvigorate an effective and inclusive multilateralism that gives us a sense of joint participation in shaping our destiny. In that regard, I would particularly like to stress the efforts of the Secretary-General as expressed in his report on Our Common Agenda, which reaffirms the core values of the Organization and offers concrete proposals for a more effective United Nations based on inclusive multilateralism. We also commend the activities of the Alliance for Multilateralism, initiated by Germany and France, which we see as a useful platform that could give new impetus to enhanced international cooperation. In the spirit of multilateralism, North Macedonia will continue to fulfil its international obligations and support the work of the United Nations and its specialized agencies in creating and implementing public policies on issues of global importance.
It is well known that every crisis also represents a new opportunity. COVID-19 calls on all of us to rethink our attitude to various aspects of living. Public health, education and science deserve much more attention if we intend their development to be systematic, integral and sustainable. When tackling complex and interdependent problems in this new era, we will need stronger and deeper partnership and solidarity, not only so that we can cope better with their consequences, restructure economies and secure further development, but also so that we can change mindsets that hold us back and hinder progress. However, human dignity should be the focus of our efforts, nationally and internationally. The eradication of poverty is only a starting point in the work of ensuring at least minimal rights and needs for all, and a precondition for that is ensuring that new generations are brought up in a spirit of greater solidarity and less inequality among people. Establishing responsible visionary leadership within our own borders and beyond them is fundamental to the work of achieving those noble goals. We should not shy away from our own responsibilities. We must learn from our own mistakes and misperceptions, caused sometimes by our unwillingness to leave our comfort zones, and demonstrate more courage and determined leadership.
Moreover, it is absolutely essential to hear and include different views as we make decisions. We should spare no resources or effort in ensuring the structural empowerment of women, with the ultimate goal of full gender equality across all categories of society, whether in entrepreneurship, security, education or foreign policy. In that context, we must open a debate on democracy, which is under threat globally, and continue to actively invest in democratic values while discouraging authoritarian tendencies, high-level corruption and systemic human rights abuses. As President of a country that knows the meaning of a different system of governance, from the very beginning I supported President Biden’s idea of convening a summit for democracy in December this year. If we want to maintain the moral superiority of democracy over other models of political governance, we must invest in it, especially among younger generations. It is important for young people to learn from our failures, which are often motivated by good intentions. In practice, the old truth that we borrow this Earth from our children means opening up space for their contributions, freedom and creativity. Universal education, accessible to all, as a foundation for personal development, will prepare our youth to face today’s challenges more easily and make the world a more dignified place to live in than it is today.
A broad international consensus is slowly forming that the greatest challenge of our time is probably climate change, which we see happening every day with varying intensity and in different forms. Despite the fact that we feel the effects of climate change in our daily lives and are increasingly aware of the need to mitigate them, it seems that we unfortunately have difficulty in mobilizing our strength against this menace. Horrifying scenes from across the globe have been unfolding in front of our eyes — the terrifying floods here in New York and in Western Europe and the series of deadly fires in South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean that resulted in the loss of lives and enormous human suffering. Reaffirming its past pledges, North Macedonia remains committed to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, while at the same time increasing its national contribution incorporated
into national laws and policies and regulatory measures. We look forward to and have great expectations for the upcoming twenty-sixth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow, considering it a crucial phase in our common efforts to restore the only home we have — our planet Earth.
Moving from global to regional and national issues and dilemmas, let me say that the Western Balkans is facing serious challenges to its European integration aspirations. The current impasse in that process frustrates our citizens and continues to diminish their enthusiasm for positive change. This state of play also opens the door not only for geopolitical competition but also for different models of governance, making it harder to ensure the democratic reforms that are vital to the region’s prospects for stability and prosperity. It is high time to reconsider the current phase of the largest continental project since the Second World War, the idea of a united, free and peaceful Europe. Is the current status of European integration in the region in line with the vision conceived by its founding fathers decades ago? If we care about a stable and prosperous Western Balkans as an important link in continental and transcontinental stability and security, we must acknowledge that a breakthrough in the European integration process is urgently needed.
As a small country in South-Eastern Europe, North Macedonia has proved its ability, together with Greece and under the mediation of the United Nations, to resolve even complex problems such as the so-called “name issue”, and thereby contributing to added stability in the region. The effects of the Prespa agreement, which is now being implemented in good faith, will benefit both of our countries and the region as a whole. At the same time, we are ready to engage in constructive dialogue with one of our other neighbours, Bulgaria, to ensure the full implementation of our treaty of friendship, good neighbourliness and cooperation. We continue to bolster our internal stability and development as a functioning multi-ethnic society, based on the principles of democracy, the rule of law and human rights. We are indeed aware that the best possible contribution we can offer to the wider stability and prosperity lies in the enforcement of those values at home for our citizens.
In conclusion, I would like to stress that the messages we are sending this week from New York should not remain mere words. Without concrete decisions today, we will not make the world a better place for tomorrow. We have a unique opportunity and responsibility, as a generation of leaders who are guiding their countries through their greatest challenges since the end of the Second World War, to take steps towards creating a more peaceful and just world in which faith in humanism, freedom and solidarity and respect for human dignity will be restored.