Bulgaria

I am truly honoured to address this forum. Let me convey my congratulations to you, Sir, on your election to preside over the General Assembly at its sixty-eighth session. Bulgaria welcomes the theme you have selected as timely and relevant and wishes you every success. A 16 year-old Bulgarian boy, writing a school report on the Millennium Development Goals, compared the world’s development model to a colourful carpet in which some colours, threads and stitches were missing, making it look unfinished, patchy and ragged. Indeed, the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals resembles an unfinished work. Undoubtedly, a lot has been achieved in the global fight against poverty and underdevelopment, but progress has been unsteady and limited. Nowadays it is hard to accept that more than 1 billion people still suffer from extreme poverty and malnutrition and that basic health services for many women and babies remain a remote luxury. Disparities in wealth distribution, quality of life and personal opportunities have become more extreme across the globe. Climate change and environmental degradation have reached an alarming level and require our urgent collective response. The well-being of future generations is at risk due to the irrational management of natural resources. Despite our efforts, wars and armed conflicts continue to rage in different regions and cause thousands of deaths and are leading to humanitarian crises and human suffering. We also continue to witness violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms. The situation in Syria continues to be a major cause of concern and a risk to regional and global security. Bulgaria strongly condemns the chemical attack on 21 August, which took the lives of thousands of innocent people, including many children. The use of chemical weapons in Syria constitutes a blatant violation of international law, a war crime and a crime against humanity. There is strong evidence to substantiate the assertion that the Syrian regime is responsible for those attacks, as it is the only party that possesses chemical agents, weapons and the means of their delivery for an attack of that scale. There can be no impunity, and the perpetrators of that heinous attack must be held accountable. Bulgaria, which is one of the signatory countries of a letter urging the Security Council to immediately refer the situation in Syria to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, joins similar calls coming from the Secretary- General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. My country welcomes the framework agreement between the United States and the Russian Federation to place Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal under international control with a view to its swift and secure destruction, and joins them in demanding that the Syrian regime provide the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons with immediate access to inspect any and all sites in Syria. We call on the Security Council to unite and shoulder its relevant responsibilities under the Charter of the United Nations, including Chapter VII. The use of chemical weapons should not divert attention from the persistent gross violations of human rights and continued human suffering. The momentum created should be used to move towards a lasting political solution to the conflict through the resumption of the Geneva process, with the active involvement of the United Nations. The worsening humanitarian crisis requires joint coordinated action to alleviate the suffering and help those in need. Bulgaria has provided humanitarian assistance to ease the plight of refugees in neighbouring countries. Situated not far from the region, my country  is also affected by the daily influx of refugees from Syria. Despite its financial constraints, the Government has adopted an emergency plan and has provided additional resources in order to guarantee adequate assistance, accommodation and services to Syrian refugees. We count on the assistance and help provided by our partners and the humanitarian bodies of the United Nations system. We expect that Iran will demonstrate clear political will and address the concerns of the international community by providing credible evidence of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme. In that respect, Iran’s full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency is of paramount importance. The Government in Tehran must show greater transparency in its nuclear activities and should fully comply with all the relevant Security Council resolutions. Bulgaria welcomes the successful adoption of the Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international trade in conventional weapons, and looks forward to its prompt entry into force. My country is encouraged by the resumption of the direct peace talks between the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority at the initiative of Secretary Kerry, the Quartet and the parties concerned. We expect both sides to demonstrate perseverance and commitment to a peaceful solution, to respect each other’s legitimate interests and to refrain from unilateral actions that could undermine the process. Negotiations are the best way forward towards the ultimate goal, namely, a just, comprehensive and lasting solution on the basis of the two-State formula. Bulgaria welcomes the appointment of former Minister for Foreign Affairs Nickolay Mladenov as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. His mission in Iraq is an important contribution to the peacebuilding and restoration process in that friendly country and to the stability of the region as a whole. Bulgaria condemns terrorism as one of the most horrific crimes and challenging threats to international peace and security. Terrorism has no face, no name, no colour and no religion. It strikes unexpectedly and scars the lives of everyone it touches. Recently, terrorism struck again in Nairobi. On behalf of Bulgaria, I convey my deepest condolences to the people and the Government of Kenya, but also Iraq, Pakistan and other countries where deadly terrorist attacks have occurred. On 18 July 2012, a terrorist attack claimed six innocent lives at a Bulgarian airport. That incident changed Bulgaria forever and is a reminder that the fight against terrorism is a common cause, on which the entire international community must remain united. We believe that the perpetrator of that horrendous terrorist act will be brought to justice soon. Bulgaria is grateful for the moral support, solidarity and practical assistance of other Member States in the investigation of that horrific crime. The critical role of international cooperation in this area once again points to the necessity of a prompt finalization of the negotiations on a draft comprehensive convention to combat terrorism. Let us take a look at what Europe has achieved in the past century. From a continent in ruins, torn apart by wars, we, Europeans, have created an area of peace, security and prosperity. Enemies have become friends and allies, united for a better future for their children. Today, in the European Union, we have harmonized regulations and share a single market, all underpinned by our common values. The past 25 years in the history of the Balkans are another great example of what can be achieved when neighbours work together towards a common goal. Building trust, good neighbourly relations, stability and security in South-Eastern Europe and in the Black Sea region is among Bulgaria’s priorities. My country remains strongly committed and will continue to support the efforts of our partners from the Western Balkans to meet the European Union membership criteria and take their legitimate place in the united European family. The European Neighbourhood Policy remains one of the most efficient instruments of the European Union to deepen cooperation and ensure peace and stability in the broader region. Bulgaria attaches particular importance to the Eastern dimension of the Policy to enhance relations with countries of the Black Sea region and members of the Eastern Partnership. If common borders and geographical proximity make us neighbours, shared cultural heritage is what makes us a family. This year we, the Slavic nations, celebrate together the one thousandth one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the mission of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius to Great Moravia. Almost 12 centuries ago, they bestowed upon us the invaluable  gift of the first Slavic alphabet. Bulgaria welcomed the disciples Saint Cyril and Methodius and adopted the Cyrillic script, which has helped us to preserve our national identity over the centuries. This year the international community marks the twentieth anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action on human rights. On this occasion, Bulgaria would like to emphasize its strong conviction that human rights should remain one of the foremost priorities for the United Nations. As a candidate for membership in the Human Rights Council for the period 2019-2021, Bulgaria will intensify its efforts in promoting the highest human rights standards both domestically and internationally. We welcome the convening of the High-level Meeting on the Realization of the Millennium Development Goals and Other Internationally Agreed Development Goals for Persons with Disabilities. As a party to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and as a member of the bureau of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention in New York, my country is strongly engaged in promoting the comprehensive and consistent implementation of the Convention at all levels, including by engaging disabled people’s organizations as an important partner in disability-inclusive development. My country is convinced that the course of reforms of the United Nations should continue in order to enhance the efficiency, representativeness and transparency of the entire United Nations system. To meet the needs of a changing world, the United Nations should continuously adapt and improve. That includes a revitalized General Assembly, a strengthened Economic and Social Council and a Security Council that reflects contemporary realities. As member of the Eastern European regional group, Bulgaria continues to hold its position as to the need for allotting at least one additional non-permanent seat in an enlarged Security Council to the group, given the fact that, in the past 20 years, its membership has more than doubled. Based on our long-standing engagement with the principles and values of the United Nations, I pledge that Bulgaria will be a responsible and reliable partner should it be elected as a Security Council non-permanent member for the term 2018-2019. We hope that the Members of the United Nations will entrust Bulgaria with that responsibility, and we stand ready to shoulder it in a spirit of partnership. We are still a long way from the future we want. The Rio de Janeiro Conference on Sustainable Development outlined a comprehensive agenda for further work to be completed in the three dimensions of sustainable development. The recently published report of the High-level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda presents key proposals for transformative shifts and a global, people-centred and planet-sensitive agenda. Bulgaria is actively engaged in the negotiation process on the new sustainable development goals, with a view to achieving a post-2015 framework that is human rights-driven, builds upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and integrates poverty eradication and sustainable development in a single and coherent process. The new universal and legally binding climate agreement to be signed in 2015 should reinforce the overarching post-2015 development agenda and speed up the international community’s efforts to introduce new sustainable models for growth. Culture and education should be accorded their rightful place in the post-2015 development agenda. In that regard, UNESCO’s role is of pivotal importance. Let me take this opportunity to reiterate Bulgaria’s strong support for the re-election of Ms. Irina Bokova to a second term as Director-General. I would like also to express Bulgaria’s admiration for the work done by UNICEF in the service of the children of the world. Bulgaria highly values the partnership and policy advice provided by the UNICEF Office in Sofia and others worldwide in modernizing the national child-protection sector and achieving more equitable and inclusive child care. Today we are building the world of tomorrow. Young people should be at the heart of those efforts as active participants, not as bystanders. For Bulgaria, young people are key stakeholders in the post-2015 development agenda. This year Bulgaria commemorates the seventieth anniversary of the rescue of Bulgarian Jews from the death camps during the Second World War, a unique achievement of Bulgarian civil society. Unfortunately, our country was in a situation where it could not do the same for Jews from northern Greece and parts of Yugoslavia. We deeply mourn their loss as well as that of all the victims of the Holocaust. Recently, citizens from different parts of the world, Bulgaria included, have engaged actively in public  life, demanding greater transparency, accountability, decency and integrity from their politicians. We in my country believe that this renewed energy on the part of civil society deserves to be encouraged and supported. I firmly believe that safeguarding human dignity is the ultimate goal of the United Nations, as, indeed, of any genuine democracy.