Moldova

At the outset, I would like to join previous speakers in addressing our sincere congratulations to you, Sir, on your election as President of the General Assembly at its sixty-fifth session and to assure you of the full support of our delegation. This year, the general debate is being held on the eve of the sixty-fifth anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter, which laid the foundation of our Organization. For more than six decades, the United Nations has been tested by numerous challenges and crises. Today, we can proudly state that it has proven its relevance, importance and vision for humankind. We extend our appreciation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his tireless efforts in steering the work of this global Organization and addressing critical international issues. We commend his engagement in convening the High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), during which Member States, including my own country, assessed the progress achieved and the numerous challenges we face in implementing the MDGs. The Republic of Moldova is committed to the accomplishment of the MDGs by 2015. As a member of the Economic and Social Council, Moldova presented its comprehensive national voluntary report on the MDGs during the Council’s annual ministerial review meeting in July. The inclusion of the MDGs in our national policies and their effective implementation are among my Government’s main priorities. I take this opportunity to express our appreciation to the organizations of the United Nations system for their support in reaching the Goals. The economic and financial crises that beset the international community have been exacerbated by food insufficiency and natural disasters, local and regional conflicts, terrorism and transborder criminality. The issues on the agenda of the United Nations reflect modern realities and challenges. I would like to bring to the Assembly’s attention a few areas that are of the utmost importance, namely, human rights and democracy, welfare and sustainable development, climate change, peace and security and, last but not least, the reform of the United Nations. Building a state of law lies at the heart of the overall activities of the Moldovan Government. The development of legal and institutional frameworks in the area of human rights and strengthening human rights protection mechanisms are among our Government’s main objectives. While our country is characterized by diversity and multiculturalism and 10-55408 2 intercultural and interreligious dialogue, we reiterate our commitment to fighting extremism, xenophobia and other forms of racism and discrimination. Our country became a member of the Human Rights Council for the first time in 2010. Our membership is in line with Moldova’s irreversible course towards protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. We assumed the commitment to contribute to the prevention of human rights violations through our active participation in the Council’s activities. We will present our first national report under the Universal Periodic Review mechanism in 2011. I would also like to point out that Moldova is a State party to nearly all multilateral treaties in the field of human rights within the United Nations system. Last week, we deposited with the Secretary-General our ratification document on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We will soon become a full-fledged member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), following the recent ratification by the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova of the Rome Statute of the ICC. We express our solidarity with the appeals articulated in various United Nations forums that more be invested in the advancement of women. We support the Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health. Likewise, we are confident that the new entity, UN Women, will contribute to the consolidation of international efforts to achieve the goals of equality and advancement for all women. Although the impact of the global economic crisis has had a negative effect on the economy of the Republic of Moldova, including on the achievement of MDG targets, the crisis has also constituted a turning point in starting new economic reforms, building up innovative partnerships and mobilizing all national stakeholders in order to create a sustainable economic and social system. To that end, the Government has proceeded to change the country’s development paradigm to an economy based on investments, innovations and competitiveness, creating new jobs and undertaking robust measures in the area of poverty reduction. Those goals will not be achieved unless we create a healthy and eco-friendly environment while putting in place a sound infrastructure that protects our wealth and families from natural disasters. In recent years, Moldova has confronted considerable natural calamities, from acute droughts to harsh floods, whose devastating impact and frequency have increased each year. The harm caused to the population, agricultural and food production sectors and the overall economy is immeasurable. On behalf of my Government, I would like to express our sincere gratitude to our development partners and to Governments and multilateral organizations for their prompt response and assistance in overcoming the consequences of the severe floods that affected our country last summer. I would also like to extend our particular gratitude to the United Nations Office in Moldova for its support in assessing post- disaster needs. For its part, my country has also extended a helping hand to others in need, contributing $100,000 to the people of Haiti. We believe that the adoption of a post-Kyoto treaty is more relevant and vital than ever before. We have to address the challenge of climate change with a synergy of national and integrated international responses. We look forward to a positive outcome to the forthcoming Conference in Cancún. The latest global crises have emphasized the central role the United Nations is to play in the mobilization of efforts by the international community and, more than ever, the need to increase the efficiency of the Organization. Efforts to strengthen the multilateral potential of the United Nations should be pragmatically adapted to the new realities, enhancing its influence in strict accordance with the United Nations Charter. The United Nations system therefore ought to be optimized by strengthening its main and subsidiary bodies in order to avoid duplication by different United Nations structures. In addition to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of United Nations activities, that reform will save significant resources, which can be redirected to priority areas where the Organization’s support is most needed. A major component of the United Nations revival is the reform of the Security Council. We welcome the results achieved during the intergovernmental negotiations and believe that the success of the reform requires political commitment by all Member States. We share the view that Council membership should be expanded in both categories and that one additional non-permanent seat should be allocated to the Eastern European Group. 3 10-55408 The importance of cooperation to enhance international security, promote disarmament and non-proliferation and counter international terrorism has been stressed by many speakers in the Hall. The terrorist acts occurring in different parts of the world demonstrate that terrorism continuously threatens international security, fundamental democratic values and human rights. The Republic of Moldova condemns terrorism and extremism in all its forms and expresses its entire support for the implementation of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy. After many years of deadlock, significant progress in disarmament and non-proliferation in all its aspects was made this year. The new United States- Russia START agreement, the nuclear summit in Washington and the Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons are just a few of the positive examples of increased cooperation by Member States. We welcome the entry into force, on 1 August, of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, to which Moldova made its contribution, as well as the launch of the negotiations on an arms trade treaty. The participation of the Republic of Moldova in United Nations peacekeeping operations highlights our country’s political willingness to contribute to international peace and stability and to be effectively engaged in building a strong security architecture through peacekeeping and peacebuilding activities. The enhancement of international cooperation in the field of conflict settlement, with a view to preventing future occurrences or escalation of crisis situations that jeopardize the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, is of primary importance for my country as it confronts the secessionism phenomenon in its eastern districts. The Republic of Moldova continues to face significant security challenges generated by separatism in the Transnistrian region of the country. Eighteen years since the ceasefire agreement was signed, Moldova remains artificially divided. Because of that, the whole system of international commitments in the fields of democratic governance, human rights and arms control is not functioning in that part of our national territory. The local population is living in a situation of a legal vacuum, with no clear future. Foreign forces are still stationed in Moldova, despite the lack of consent of the host Government and previous decisions and commitments regarding their withdrawal. At the same time, it is absolutely obvious that there are objective considerations in resolving the Transnistrian problem. The practical steps undertaken by the Government of Moldova clearly show that the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict is one of its central priorities. We consistently advocate in favour of a policy of dialogue, openness and trust. Our efforts are concentrated on developing regular contacts between Chisinau and Tiraspol at the level of political representatives, as well as in the working groups created to build confidence in various areas. Our main goal is to provide much-needed support to the population and businesses in the region, including through international projects and programmes. International partners in the settlement process are also showing interest in increased engagement aimed at the full territorial reintegration of the Republic of Moldova. That positive trend should be strengthened. The first step in that direction would be the earliest possible unconditional resumption of official negotiations in the “5+2” format. That would allow us to start working on a formula for a viable and comprehensive settlement based on the principles of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Moldova. It would also offer us the necessary framework for the implementation of confidence-building and reintegration projects, as well as for the transformation of the current so-called peacekeeping operation into a multinational civilian mission based on the relevant international standards and mandate. In that context, we firmly believe that the summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to be held at the end of this year should provide a clear perspective for the settlement of the Transnistrian conflict and the withdrawal of foreign forces from Moldova, in line with commitments undertaken at the previous summit. We would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our principled position that conflict situations, whenever they appear, seriously impact peace, security and stability. They must therefore be solved on the basis of full respect for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. We are concerned by attempts, particularly by non-State entities, to misinterpret and restate the sense of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion 10-55408 4 on Kosovo. Such attempts run counter to the spirit and substance of the imperative principles of international law and endanger the international legal order and international security and stability. It is therefore of the utmost importance to make it clear that international law does not confer the right for ethnic, linguistic or religious groups to break away from the territory of a State of which they form part without that State’s consent. Like other Member States, the Republic of Moldova fully shares the view that unilateral secession cannot be an acceptable way of resolving conflict issues. When engaging in settlement efforts, we must also proceed from recognition of the fact that each and every case is unique and should not constitute a precedent for addressing and settling other conflicts of different factual context. The Republic of Moldova is determined to advance on its path towards European integration, which is a fundamental priority of our domestic and foreign policies. The achievement of that goal will enable our country to embark on a course of stability and prosperity governed by democratic values and respect for fundamental human rights, the rule of law and economic freedom. Moldova-European Union relations have intensified in the past year, given the firm commitment of our Government to improve ties with the European Union (EU) and its member States. On 12 January, we successfully launched negotiations on the Association Agreement and held three rounds of negotiations, during which there was a convergence of approaches. Moreover, we have launched three dialogues with the European Union, on human rights, visa liberalization and the creation of a broad and comprehensive free- trade area. We are confident that the constructive approach of our cooperation process will contribute to the advancement of our country on the European track. We are grateful to EU member States for their strong support and the firm shoulder they have provided for Moldova’s ambitious European agenda. Furthermore, we consider that since the adoption of the Lisbon Treaty, new opportunities have emerged for enhanced European Union cooperation with its international partners, including the United Nations. We express our support for the active and efficient participation of the European Union in the work of General Assembly. In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that the involvement of the Republic of Moldova in the work of the United Nations is one of the strategic objectives of our foreign policy. Our country remains committed to achieving the objectives of the United Nations Charter, as set by the founding fathers 65 years ago and embraced by all Member States.